‘Qualcomm knows it has to fight back’: OnePlus exec explains why Apple is (partially) responsible for the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset

OnePlus is set to unveil the OnePlus 15R on December 17, but we already know the phone will be the first to ship with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset.

Announced at Snapdragon Summit in September, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is effectively a non-Elite version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and its release will mark the first time Qualcomm has pursued a dual-flagship chipset strategy, giving brands like OnePlus the opportunity to bring flagship-level power to cheaper Android phones.

Why, though, has Qualcomm decided that now is the time to split its most powerful silicon into two distinct products? The answer, according to OnePlus’ Senior Product Marketing Manager Rudolf Xu, is because the same strategy has been working so well for Apple.

Speaking at the launch of the OnePlus 15 in October, Xu candidly outlined why Apple shifted away from reusing last-gen chipsets in its new iPhones, and how doing so inspired Qualcomm to do the same with its flagship Snapdragon series.

“If you buy a base model iPhone in 2021 [the iPhone 13], it has the same chipset as the Pro model,” Xu explained on stage. “In 2022, things start to get interesting. If you buy the iPhone 14 Pro, it uses the A16, but the base model [the iPhone 14] stays at A15. Then, with the iPhone 15 Pro, it’s the A17 Pro, but the base model is still last year’s A16. Basically, Apple was reusing its chipsets from the previous year in its base models.

“But, in 2024 – and this is the most interesting thing – if you buy the iPhone 16 Pro, you get the A18 Pro. And if you buy the base model, you no longer get the A17 from last year: you get the A18. It’s a separate silicon. Qualcomm understands this competing situation and knows it has to fight back."

“Long story short: on your best flagship, you need to push the power of your silicon," Xu continued. "That’s what Apple [did] with the A18 Pro, and with the base model [from that year], they [wanted] to download [sic] the best advancements from the Pro into a separate silicon. That’s the A18.

“And it’s the same situation with the iPhone 17 series. You have the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro and the A19 in the iPhone 17. Apple is using a dual-flagship strategy with its silicon. And that’s why Qualcomm is also using a dual-flagship strategy this year, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.”

Now, I’m not sure that Qualcomm would so openly admit to copying Apple’s homework, but the logic in doing so stands. And in an interview with TechRadar after Xu’s on-stage presentation, the executive further explained why Qualcomm’s strategy shift is better for Qualcomm, better for OnePlus, and, crucially, better for consumers:

“Qualcomm is definitely seeing a trend that [suggests] a dual-flagship strategy works better. Because with the [Snapdragon 8] Elite, you can just push for the best," said Xu. "You can pack all of the best technology you have from that year [into one chipset]. And for the base model, when you add in a new flagship [chipset], you can download [sic] the latest advancements from that year, instead of using last year’s architecture.

“The [Snapdragon] 8 Gen 5 actually has the same architecture as the 8 Elite Gen 5 – the same CPU architecture, the same GPU architecture. And consumers will feel that it’s better, too, because they will know that this is the latest chipset, a new one, instead of borrowing an older one from last year. That’s the psychology perspective.

“And as for why this is great for OnePlus, the 15 and 15R both get the latest chipsets, and because they’re using the same architecture, it makes it very easy for us to trickle down the latest benefits from the 15 to the 15R. For example, the always-on 120fps display and games that support 165Hz. It’s very easy for us to do the porting, because they are sharing the same software baseline.”

So, there you have it: the OnePlus 15R will be a cheaper alternative to the OnePlus 15. But thanks to the power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, it won’t compromise on the level of performance that earned the latter phone a five-star TechRadar review rating.

As for what else we know about the OnePlus 15R, OnePlus has confirmed that the phone will use the same Detailmax Engine as the OnePlus 15, as well as the same G2 Wi-Fi chip for strong Wi-Fi connectivity.

It’s safe to expect a smaller battery and some lower-spec camera hardware, but in any case, all will be revealed on December 17.

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