2025-bound flagship smartphones to get pricier as Qualcomm confirms price increase for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
Qualcomm has confirmed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be the first mobile AP to run its custom Novia cores that debuted on the Snapdragon X Elite. Earlier rumours suggested it would be 40% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which in itself offered a massive performance leap over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, the increased performance will also bring with it a substantially larger price tag.
In a statement to Android Authority's Hadlee Simons, Qualcomm SVP Chris Patrick said, "We do expect the (Snapdragon 8) Gen 4 will have some cost increase as we really pursue really astonishing levels of performance". This increase isn't surprising and likely stems from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 being manufactured on TSMC's cutting-edge N3E node, although there have been reports that hinted otherwise.
Qualcomm recently confirmed that it would dual-source high-end components from Samsung Foundry and TSMC. While the former has been known to be the more affordable alternative until now, the same might not hold for its 3 GAP gate-all-around node, which is the first of its kind in the industry. Regardless, OEMs will certainly pass down the costs to end users, resulting in marginal price increases across the board.
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