The smartphone industry is banking on AI to reaccelerate device sales after years of slowing growth. But achieving this will require giving consumers a reason to buy new phones more often.
Qualcomm (QCOM) is aiming to do just that with its latest smartphone chips, adding a number of new built-in AI capabilities that it says will let you do things like virtually adjust the lighting on your video calls in real time and allow your device to recognize real-world objects without having to access the web.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is Qualcomm’s latest high-end mobile processor and offers improved performance and power efficiency thanks to the company’s use of what it calls Prime Cores, designed for high-end applications, and Performance Cores, for more. occasional tasks.
Qualcomm says the chips will be included in smartphones from companies including Samsung, Xiaomi, ASUS, OnePlus, Honor, Oppo and more in the coming weeks.
The chipmaker promises big performance gains over the Snapdragon 8 Elite, saying its central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) should save 44% and 40% more power than its predecessor , the Snapdragon 8 Gen. 3, which Samsung used in its Galaxy S24 line of smartphones.
But the chip’s biggest feature is its ability to power onboard AI functions. Qualcomm claims the chip will erase unwanted objects in videos, rather than just photos, without having to upload your movie to the cloud for processing. Instead, your phone will be able to simply remove the person who moved into the background of your photo.
The company also claims that OEM partners can use the NPU to extend photos beyond their boundaries, for example by augmenting the background of a shot, and using the camera to interact with the world around you. For example, you will be able to point your phone at an object and ask the built-in voice assistant what objects are in your photo without needing to connect to the web.
Qualcomm revealed its first-generation Snapdragon X Elite in late 2023, and Microsoft (MSFT) ultimately chose the processors for its line of Surface laptops and processors, launching the new PCs in May this year.
Embedded AI is the main common denominator between the two generations of chips. Qualcomm is working to ensure that users do not need an internet connection to use generative AI applications and services, which could prove to be a major differentiator for new smartphones and PCs compared to their predecessors.
The PC and smartphone industries believe that AI will be the next major feature that will drive consumers to upgrade their devices to newer systems in the months and years to come. Still, equipping devices with the ability to run AI applications won’t entice the vast majority of customers to spend a few hundred dollars on a new laptop or smartphone. The only thing that will make it happen are intriguing new applications that take advantage of AI.
Sure, smarter digital assistants are helpful, and the improvement in photo and video capabilities is impressive, but there still isn’t an app or app category that makes people want an AI device. My own friends and family are certainly interested in marketing around AI products, but none of them, except for a few early adopters and people who need the latest and greatest devices, is not yet interested in paying for AI.
That said, the consumer AI lifecycle is still in its early stages, meaning there’s plenty of time for a nifty new application leveraging AI to arrive. And when it does, we’ll finally have a sense of the appetite for AI-powered hardware.
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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