Snapdragon 888 Pro under testing for launch after July but there could be a problem

Last December, Qualcomm revealed the Snapdragon 888 chip for flagship Android smartphones of the world. Phones using the Snapdragon 888 have demonstrated unparalleled performance but Qualcomm does not seem to be satisfied. Based on rumours, Qualcomm is working on a beefed-up version of the Snapdragon 888 chip, called the Snapdragon 888 Pro. The chip is already under testing.

The Snapdragon 888 Pro is already under works and based on the tip, it seems to be an overclocked version of the vanilla Snapdragon 888. Digital Chat Station, who shared the information, says that the chip could either have higher frequency or increased clockspeed.

The tipster also shares that it will be debuting between July and September of 2021, and it won’t be as exclusive overseas as previous versions of boosted Snapdragon chips.

Snapdragon 888 Pro in works

Qualcomm has been cleverly releasing an updated version of its older chips in the past to create a demand in the high-performance smartphone category. The Snapdragon 821 and Snapdragon 855 Plus have been examples of updated chips with boosted clockspeeds.

The latest example, however, has to be the Snapdragon 870, which is essentially a boosted version of the Snapdragon 865 with an overclocked Cortex X1 performance core. Most smartphone brands are able to release more accessible premium phones using the Snapdragon 870 chip. The Vivo X60 and x60 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 11X, OnePlus 9R and iQOO 7 rely on the Snapdragon 870.

Image: ROG Phone 5

Coming back to the Snapdragon 888 Pro, it is highly likely that we will see it used in gaming smartphones. Brands like OnePlus could also exploit the Snapdragon 888 Pro for its late-2021 flagship offerings. However, the Snapdragon 888 has left users complaining about its heating issues. Digital Chat Station says that the Snapdragon 888 Pro could face the same issues unless Qualcomm figures out a way to control the heat generation.

At the moment, you can find the Snapdragon 888 chip in a limited number of smartphones in India. The OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 9, Vivo X60 Pro+, Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, and iQOO 7 Legend are the only phones in India that rely on the Snapdragon 888 chip.

On the other hand, MediaTek recently announced its flagship 5G chip for premium smartphones in India. The Dimensity 1200 chip is expected to power a few premium smartphones in India and bring dual 5G SIM connectivity. The performance of the Dimensity 1200 is comparable to the Snapdragon 870 chip.