Qualcomm is launching a pair of new AI chips in an attempt to challenge Nvidia's dominance in the market. On Monday, Qualcomm announced plans to release its new AI200 chip next year, followed by the AI250 in 2027 - both of which are built on the company's mobile neural processing technology. The new chips are built for deploying AI models, rather than training them.
Qualcomm's answer to Nvidia's dominance in the artificial acceleration market is a pair of new chips for server racks, the A1200 and A1250, based on its existing neural processing unit (NPU) technology. Significantly, Qualcomm has developed a novel memory architecture for the A1250 based on near-memory computing, which it claims provides "a generational leap in efficiency and performance for AI inference workloads". It does so, according to Qualcomm, by delivering greater than 10x higher effective memory bandwidth and much lower power consumption.
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8850-AC) flagship mobile platform at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, alongside the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips. And towards the end of the product keynote, the chipmaker introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC. While Qualcomm didn't detail the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, Alex Katouzian, General Manager for Mobile, Compute, and XR at Qualcomm, said, "We developed this chipset to give you more choices and flexibility, while still delivering flagship features."
Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset in April, and it's been used in seven smartphones so far as an upper-midrange option. A new rumor from China today claims Qualcomm will diversify its SoC range even more, as it's getting ready to offer a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 "Pro" or "Plus" version. While the source of the leak doesn't say it, we assume this means a higher bin of the chip, most likely with some overclocked cores.
Qualcomm is joining forces with BMW on a new driver-assist system that will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel on approved roads. Qualcomm, which supplies infotainment, driver-assist, and telematics systems to a variety of automakers, is looking to raise its portfolio in the auto industry, as more car companies turn to advanced processors and chips to power high-tech features. The San Diego-based chipmaker says it currently has $45 billion in future revenue in its automotive pipeline right now.
