The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 821 are Qualcomm mobile platforms developed for different generations of flagship smartphones. Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, announced in 2021, is built on a 4nm process and introduces Armv9 CPU cores, an advanced Qualcomm Adreno GPU, an 18-bit Spectra ISP, and integrated 5G connectivity. Snapdragon 821, launched in 2016, is manufactured on a 14nm FinFET process and combines Qualcomm's custom Kryo CPU, Adreno 530 GPU, Spectra ISP, and Snapdragon X12 LTE modem for premium 4G smartphones.
General
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 821 target different smartphone generations and performance requirements. Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is Qualcomm's flagship 5G mobile platform designed for modern premium devices, while Snapdragon 821 was introduced as a premium-tier 4G platform with improved CPU and GPU performance over Snapdragon 820.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| Launch date | November 2021 | July 2016 |
| Brand | Qualcomm | Qualcomm |
| Model | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform | Snapdragon 821 Mobile Platform |
| Target segment | Flagship smartphones | Premium smartphones |
| Network support | 5G, 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| Process node | 4nm | 14nm FinFET |
| Foundry | Samsung | Samsung |
CPU
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features Qualcomm Kryo CPU architecture based on Armv9 technology, combining one Cortex-X2 core, three Cortex-A710 cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores for balanced performance and efficiency. Snapdragon 821 uses Qualcomm's custom Kryo quad-core CPU with two performance and two efficiency cores, delivering responsive performance for flagship smartphones of its generation.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| CPU architecture | 1× Cortex-X2 + 3× Cortex-A710 + 4× Cortex-A510 | Qualcomm Kryo |
| CPU core count | Octa-core | Quad-core |
| Performance cores | 1× Cortex-X2@3.0GHz + 3× Cortex-A710@2.5GHz | 2× Kryo@2.4GHz |
| Efficiency cores | 4× Cortex-A510@1.8GHz | 2× Kryo@1.6GHz |
| Maximum clock speed | 3.0GHz | 2.4GHz |
| Instruction set | ARMv9-A | ARMv8-A |
| 64-bit support | Yes | Yes |
Graphics
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 integrates the Qualcomm Adreno GPU with Snapdragon Elite Gaming technologies and support for modern graphics APIs. Snapdragon 821 includes the Adreno 530 GPU, offering hardware acceleration and graphics capabilities suitable for premium smartphones released during its generation.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno GPU | Adreno 530 |
| Vulkan support | Vulkan 1.1 | Vulkan 1.0 |
| OpenGL ES | OpenGL ES 3.2 | OpenGL ES 3.2 |
| OpenCL | OpenCL 2.0 FP | OpenCL 2.0 Full Profile |
| Snapdragon Elite Gaming | Yes | No |
| Hardware video acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| HDR gaming support | Yes | No |
Memory
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 supports LPDDR5 memory with higher bandwidth for demanding workloads such as gaming, AI processing, and multitasking. Snapdragon 821 supports LPDDR4 memory, providing sufficient bandwidth for flagship smartphones introduced in 2016.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4 |
| Maximum memory frequency | 3200MHz | 1866MHz |
| Memory bus width | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 51.2GB/s | 29.8GB/s |
| Maximum RAM support | 16GB | 8GB |
| ECC support | No | No |
Multimedia (ISP)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features Qualcomm's 18-bit Spectra ISP capable of processing significantly more image data for high-resolution photography and 8K HDR video recording. Snapdragon 821 integrates the Qualcomm Spectra ISP designed for premium smartphone cameras with support for Ultra HD video recording and dual-camera systems.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| ISP | Qualcomm Spectra 18-bit ISP | Qualcomm Spectra ISP |
| Maximum camera resolution | 200MP | 28MP |
| Multi-camera support | Triple camera | Dual camera |
| Video capture | 8K HDR at 30fps, 4K HDR at 60fps | 4K Ultra HD at 30fps |
| Video playback | 8K HDR | 4K Ultra HD |
| HEVC (H.265) | Yes | Yes |
| VP9 | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity and network
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 integrates the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System with support for high-speed 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. Snapdragon 821 includes the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem with Category 12 LTE connectivity, 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2 for premium smartphones from its launch period.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|
| 5G modem | Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF System | No |
| LTE modem | Integrated LTE modem | Snapdragon X12 LTE |
| Maximum download speed | Up to 10Gbps | Up to 600Mbps |
| Maximum upload speed | Up to 3Gbps | Up to 150Mbps |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | 802.11ac Wave 2 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 4.2 |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| USB | USB 3.1 | USB 3.0 |