The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 835 are Qualcomm flagship mobile platforms designed for premium Android smartphones from different generations. Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 introduces a 4nm architecture, Armv9 CPU cores, integrated Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, and an 18-bit Triple ISP. Snapdragon 835, built on Samsung's 10nm process, features Kryo 280 CPUs, Adreno 540 GPU, Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, and Spectra 180 ISP.
General
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was announced in November 2021 as Qualcomm's flagship 5G mobile platform, while Snapdragon 835 debuted in January 2017 as the company's premium LTE platform. Both target flagship smartphones but represent different generations of mobile computing, connectivity, AI, and multimedia capabilities.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| Launch date | November 2021 | January 2017 |
| Brand | Qualcomm | Qualcomm |
| Model | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform | Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform |
| Target segment | Flagship smartphones | Flagship smartphones |
| Network support | 5G | 4G LTE |
| Process node | Samsung 4nm | Samsung 10nm FinFET |
| Foundry | Samsung | Samsung |
CPU
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 adopts Arm's first-generation Armv9 CPU cluster featuring one Cortex-X2 core, three Cortex-A710 performance cores, and four Cortex-A510 efficiency cores. Snapdragon 835 uses Qualcomm Kryo 280 CPUs derived from Arm Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 designs, delivering flagship performance for smartphones released during 2017.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| CPU architecture | 1× Cortex-X2 + 3× Cortex-A710 + 4× Cortex-A510 | Kryo 280 (Semi-custom ARM Cortex-A73 + Cortex-A53) |
| Performance cores | 1× Cortex-X2@3.0GHz + 3× Cortex-A710@2.5GHz | 4× Kryo 280 Gold@2.45GHz |
| Efficiency cores | 4× Cortex-A510@1.8GHz | 4× Kryo 280 Silver@1.9GHz |
| Process node | 4nm | 10nm FinFET |
| Instruction set | ARMv9-A | ARMv8-A |
| 64-bit support | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum clock speed | 3.0GHz | 2.45GHz |
Graphics
Both processors integrate Qualcomm Adreno GPUs for gaming, graphics rendering, and multimedia acceleration. Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 delivers significantly improved graphics performance with Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, Game Super Resolution, and Variable Rate Shading. Snapdragon 835 uses the Adreno 540 GPU, supporting Vulkan and OpenGL ES APIs for flagship gaming experiences of its generation.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno GPU | Adreno 540 |
| Qualcomm Elite Gaming | Yes | No |
| Variable Rate Shading | Yes | No |
| Snapdragon Game Super Resolution | Yes | No |
| Vulkan | Vulkan 1.1 | Vulkan 1.0 |
| OpenGL ES | OpenGL ES 3.2 | OpenGL ES 3.2 |
| Hardware video acceleration | Yes | Yes |
Memory
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 supports LPDDR5 memory for higher bandwidth and lower latency, improving gaming, AI, and multitasking performance. Snapdragon 835 supports LPDDR4X memory, which was the premium mobile memory technology available during its launch period.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Maximum frequency | 3200MHz | 1866MHz |
| Bus width | 4×16-bit | 4×16-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | Up to 51.2GB/s | Up to 29.8GB/s |
Multimedia (ISP)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 integrates Qualcomm's 18-bit Triple Spectra ISP capable of processing significantly more camera data than previous generations, supporting up to 200MP image capture and 8K HDR video recording. Snapdragon 835 includes the Spectra 180 ISP with support for up to 32MP single-camera capture or dual 16MP cameras and 4K video recording.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| ISP | Qualcomm Spectra 18-bit Triple ISP | Qualcomm Spectra 180 ISP |
| Storage support | UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.1 |
| Maximum display resolution | 4K UHD | 4K UHD |
| Maximum display refresh rate | Up to 144Hz (QHD+) | Up to 60Hz (QHD+) |
| Maximum camera resolution | Up to 200MP | Up to 32MP single or dual 16MP |
| Multi-camera support | Triple simultaneous ISP | Dual camera |
| Video capture | 8K HDR@30fps, 4K HDR@120fps | 4K Ultra HD@30fps |
| Video playback | 8K HDR | 4K HDR |
| Supported codecs | H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1 (decode) | H.264, H.265, VP9 |
Connectivity and network
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features the integrated Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, supporting both Sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G with download speeds of up to 10Gbps. Snapdragon 835 integrates the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, delivering Gigabit LTE connectivity and dual-band Wi-Fi for premium smartphones introduced before the arrival of commercial 5G networks.
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 835 |
|---|
| 5G modem | Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System | Not supported |
| LTE modem | Integrated LTE support via X65 | Snapdragon X16 LTE |
| Maximum download speed | Up to 10Gbps (5G) | Up to 1Gbps LTE |
| Maximum upload speed | Up to 3Gbps (5G) | Up to 150Mbps LTE |
| 5G support | Sub-6GHz and mmWave | No |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| GNSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou |