Usually, the Plus version of the Snapdragon chips just nicely improves performance and that’s it. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 breaks with this habit and proves to be a much better choice than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
When we advise you on tech purchases, we always try to highlight the lines of demarcation that exist between one product and another. LCD or Oled screen for a smartphone or a television, fast or slow charge, rotation or torque sensor for an electric bicycle, etc.
This article follows this objective by insisting on a very specific point: if you have to choose between a phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, always choose the 8+ Gen 1. We explain why.
It’s hot, it’s burning
At the start of the year, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 quickly established itself as a monster of power, shamelessly gobbling its competitors on synthetic benchmarks. But there was a problem that all the tests revealed: the heating was at best rather annoying, at worst inadmissible.
Some smartphones that we tested unfortunately paid the price. We also tend to be even more fussy about chips in the high-end segment, since these are devices intended to be used over a very long time, given the investment they represent. .
However, a chip that heats up inevitably leads to a battery that heats up. And batteries don’t like it at all. It is the assurance of ending up with a device whose autonomy is greatly reduced after one or two years. In addition, the heat released by the chip brings another even more pressing problem: in the event of a heat wave for example, or if you use your phone to play, it can simply become unusable. On products at 800 euros or more, this is a stain.
A little extra and everything changes
Fortunately, a suitor comes to get us out of this thorny situation. Its name: the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (the difference is subtle). For the past few weeks, we have started to accumulate tests of phones that are equipped with it. And the difference is noticeable to say the least.
Already, we easily notice that the Plus chip tends to display lower scores than the basic one. Judge instead with the OnePlus 10 Pro, under Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and its counterpart, the OnePlus 10T under 8+ Gen 1.
| Model | OnePlus 10 Pro | OnePlus 10T |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu 9 | 811491 | 754073 |
| AnTuTu processor | 150160 | 126624 |
| GPU AnTuTu | 414403 | 416631 |
| AnTuTu MEM | 117469 | 100661 |
| AnTuTu UX | 129459 | 110157 |
| Brand PC 3.0 | 11425 | 10443 |
| 3DMark Wildlife | 9659 | CN |
| 3DMark Wild Life Average Frame Rate | 57.80 frames per second | CN |
| 3DMark Extreme Wildlife | CN | 2696 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme mid frame rate | CN | 16 frames per second |
| GFXBench Aztec Vulkan/Metal high (onscreen/offscreen) | 59 / 47 frames per second | 60 / 47 FPS |
| GFXBench Car Chase (onscreen/offscreen) | 60 / 96 FPS | 60 / 97 FPS |
| GFXBench Manhattan 3.0 (onscreen/offscreen) | 60 / 229 FPS | 60 / 218 FPS |
| Sequential Read/Write | 1531 / 1207 MB/s | 1637 / 1108 MB/s |
| Random read/write | 66244/67250 IOPS | 23462 / 67117 IOPS |
See more benchmarks
However, who says less important score undoubtedly says a chip which seeks less to outperform than to perform effectively. Of course, this is not an immutable rule, the Asus ZenFone 9 with the 8 Plus Gen 1 dominates its world against the Xiaomi 12 Pro and another Oppo Find X5 Pro under 8 Gen 1.
| Model | Asus Zenfone 9 | Oppo Find X5 Pro | Xiaomi 12 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu 9 | 1085542 | 855644 | 967591 |
| AnTuTu processor | 255974 | 171555 | 219760 |
| GPU AnTuTu | 468392 | 436545 | 424956 |
| AnTuTu MEM | 181036 | 120533 | 164789 |
| AnTuTu UX | 180140 | 127011 | 158086 |
| Brand PC 3.0 | 16292 | 11416 | 12979 |
| 3DMark Wildlife | CN | 9771 | 7129 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Average Frame Rate | CN | 58.50 frames per second | 43 frames per second |
| 3DMark Extreme Wildlife | 2776 | CN | CN |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme mid frame rate | 16.6 frames per second | CN | CN |
| GFXBench Aztec Vulkan/Metal high (onscreen/offscreen) | 67 / 51 FPS | 59 / 47 frames per second | 58 / 44 frames per second |
| GFXBench Car Chase (onscreen/offscreen) | 89 / 103 FPS | 60 / 95FPS | 73 / 91 FPS |
| GFXBench Manhattan 3.0 (onscreen/offscreen) | 119 / 258 frames per second | CN | 121 / 233 frames per second |
| Sequential Read/Write | 1955 / 1453 MB/s | 1558 / 1216 MB/s | 1827 / 1444 MB/s |
| Random read/write | 94123 / 125455 IOPS | 74053 / 69400 IOPS | 79899 / 105473 IOPS |
See more benchmarks
But in all our tests, including that of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 still being written, we see the best on heating, but also on autonomy, even if it is difficult to distinguish the impact of the chip and the optimizations carried out by the manufacturers.
An anomaly that can be explained
Usually, the Plus versions of the Snapdragon do not excite the crowds or the Tech editorial staff as much. The Snapdragon 888 has never been eclipsed by its Plus version. This is due to the fact that usually, Plus chips are content to increase the power slightly without touching the architecture of the chip. Here, Qualcomm turned to a different foundry, TSMC instead of Samsung Foundry. And that, it seems, changed everything.
What about you 8 Gen 2
Reading all this, you may be wondering if this rule will apply to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? A strongerif you think you will be in a buying process by next year. Unfortunately, it is impossible to answer you at the time these lines are written. Qualcomm has yet to reveal its next batch of high-end chips.
Failing this, however, we can give you two things to follow closely. Already, the announcement of the next chip from Qualcomm will take place between November 15 and 17, which should allow you in the following days to see if the same problems surface. Other information that will have to be monitored: take a good look at who is the founder of the chip, that is to say the company which is responsible for manufacturing it in practice.
Rumor has it that it is TSMC. If that is the case, firstno worries in sight. The manufacturing processes of the Taiwanese firm are generally reliable. If it’s Samsung Foundry, maybe wait to see the first tests before jumping on the first phone to come that will be equipped with the 8 Gen 2. The opportunity for us to invite you to always read the tests (preferably those of Frandroid) before a major purchase.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.
Facebook Comments