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Galaxy S22 processor benchmark leak teases huge performance gains

Published Nov 24th, 2021 7:04PM EST
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Image: Samsung

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Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S22 series in mid-February, but several leaks have already revealed plenty of details about the new flagship. We saw a real-life photo of the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is Samsung’s new Note replacement. We also saw renders of the Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 models. On top of that, we heard the phone might be the first to feature Samsung’s AMD GPU. While some leaks claimed that the Galaxy S22 would not use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip, others say the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor will power some S22 models. And we already have a benchmark that teases the impressive performance gains expected from Qualcomm’s next flagship CPU.

What is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor?

Some Galaxy S21 models — as well as other 2021 Android flagships — feature the Snapdragon 888 flagship System-on-Chip (SoC). Until recently, we thought the Snapdragon 898 would be the next-gen Qualcomm processor to power Android flagships like the Galaxy S22 and the OnePlus 10 Pro. But recent reports unearthed a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 naming scheme.

Qualcomm partially confirmed the news earlier this week. The chipmaker decided to switch to a simplified name for its mobile platforms. The names will include a single-digit series and generation number.

It all starts with the Snapdragon 8-series platform, Qualcomm said, without revealing the new chip. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will be unveiled on November 30th during the Snapdragon Tech Summit.

MediaTek just unveiled a powerful SoC of its own, the Dimensity 9000, that will compete against the A15 Bionic and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. During the event last week, we learned that the new MediaTek flagship chip will deliver massive performance, making it a suitable SoC for future Android flagships.

MediaTek teased at the event that Samsung will make use of the new Dimensity high-end SoC, making us wonder what type of Galaxy product will get the upgrade.

The first benchmark leak for the Galaxy S22 chip

That said, it’s likely the Galaxy S22 series will feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 processor. Samsung used a Snapdragon/Exynos chip for previous Galaxy S and Note generations.

If the first benchmark leak for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is accurate, then we’re looking at notable speed gains for the Galaxy S22.

The new processor topped 1,000,000 points in an AnTuTu test. That’s more than 200,000 points better than the Snapdragon 888+ processor. The leaked benchmark is also in line with the Dimensity 9000 processor. The MediaTek chip also topped 1,000,000 points in the same test.

A prominent Samsung leaker teased a few days ago the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s solid performance gains. He emphasized the GPU improvements but said the new processor will also deliver other upgrades.

The leaker did not provide benchmark results. But he noted that there’s one reason to worry about the Galaxy S22 processor. That’s the heat dissipation.

When Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip next week, we expect it to detail all of the SoC’s upgrades. However, it’s unlikely that the chipmaker will mention the Galaxy S22 during the event. That said, Samsung isn’t the only Android vendor that will make use of the new Snapdragon flagship processor. The OnePlus 10 Pro, the Xiaomi 12, and the Moto Edge 30 Ultra are other Android handsets to rock the new processor.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.