Qualcomm’s latest chipset is called the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, and it quietly appeared on the company’s website over the weekend. The new mid-range platform replaces the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, because the company forgot that the second generation of the 4nm chip does not exist.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 provides better AI performance for tasks such as activity monitoring and call noise reduction. The chip is similar to the Snapdragon 7S Gen 2 with some improvements in the processor and display.
| Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 | |
| CPU | 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 | 4×2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 | 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Adreno 710 | Adreno 710 | Adreno 710 |
| RAM | Up to 3200 MHz LPDDR5 | Up to 3200 MHz LPDDR5 | Up to 3200 MHz LPDDR5 |
| Display | Full HD+ @ 120 Hz | Full HD+ @ 120 Hz | Full HD+ @ 144 Hz |
| ISP | 12-bit | 12-bit | 12-bit |
| Camera | 200 MP, 48 MP Zero Shutter Lag | 200 MP, 48 MP Zero Shutter Lag | 200 MP, 48 MP Zero Shutter Lag |
| Video | 4K @ 30 fps | 4K @ 30 fps | 4K @ 30 fps |
| Local | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Charging | QuickCharge 4+ | QuickCharge 4+ | QuickCharge 4+ |
| Process | 4nm | 4nm | 4nm |
Snapdragon 6 Generation 3 has an octa-core CPU. Four Cortex-A78 cores running at 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz match the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 installation architecture, but have lower core clock efficiency (the 2nd Gen 7s runs at 1.95 GHz). Another difference is that the 6th Gen 3 supports displays with Full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, instead of 144 Hz like the 7.
Qualcomm uses an Adreno 710 GPU and the chip supports both the old LPDDR4X and newer LPDDR5 RAM, but only UFS 3.1 storage. Connectivity support for the new chip also includes Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.
As for the camera, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 can handle a single 48MP sensor, dual 32MP and 16MP sensors, or even 200MP photos.
Qualcomm hasn’t issued an official press release about the chipset, and we don’t know when the product will be available to OEMs.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
