Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chips push AI agents on phones

Qualcomm today announced two flagship smartphone processors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, both designed to run more capable AI features directly on the device.

The company unveiled the chips at its annual Snapdragon Summit. The stakes are straightforward: handset makers and silicon vendors are betting that the smartphone, not dedicated AI hardware, will be where most consumers actually encounter AI. Nothing co-founder Carl Pei has hinted at this trend in the past, and new Apple CEO John Ternus reinforced the same line of thought during the iPhone Duo launch earlier this month.

Bigger local models

The high-end Extreme version can run a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts (MoE) model locally. That means the overall model size is 30B, but only a certain number of parameters activate for a particular task — the approach that makes large models feasible on power-constrained mobile hardware.

For comparison, at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple released a 20-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts model, the most advanced of its third generation of foundation models. Qualcomm's top-end chip now claims a 10-billion-parameter advantage over what Apple ships in its foundation model stack.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 includes a new accelerator element designed to run models more efficiently.

On-device agents and sensing

Qualcomm said the new chips can aid in improved personalization for AI agents. New sensing hubs can run small models of up to 200 million parameters.

The sensing hub enables a set of always-on capabilities. Smartphones can run a personal scribe locally and differentiate between speakers. The hub can also build memory based on usage patterns, generating better suggestions for automating tasks. The company said it can run a complete voice-in and voice-out agent through the new chip.

Camera and audio

The new Qualcomm CPU provides pixel-level control for cameras to enable more pro-level shooting experiences, along with improved stabilization and motion understanding. The Extreme version supports video recording at 8K 60fps and 4K240 for ultra HD slow-motion. It also enables the new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for pro-level recording.

Both chips use AI to boost vocals and reduce noise. They also include Qualcomm's new voice bubble technology, which isolates users' noise during calls.

First device

At the event, Motorola announced the Motorola Signature 27 smartphone, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, with general availability sometime this year.

Qualcomm has been working on more than 40 AI devices, but the company's message at the Summit was clear: even as dedicated AI gadgets multiply, the phone remains the primary delivery vehicle for AI features. With local MoE models now exceeding Apple's on-device benchmark, the competition over whose silicon runs the most capable on-device AI has effectively moved to the flagship tier.