The history of Snapdragon refers to the development and evolution of the Snapdragon system on chips (SoCs), which are designed by Qualcomm, a leading American semiconductor and telecommunications company. Snapdragon chips power a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more.

Here’s a concise overview of the history and evolution of Snapdragon:

2007: Introduction of Snapdragon

• Qualcomm introduced the first Snapdragon chipset (QSD8650) in November 2007.
• It was aimed at mobile devices and offered an integrated ARM CPU, GPU, DSP, and modem.
• One of the earliest devices to use Snapdragon was the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), the first Android smartphone.

2010–2012: Snapdragon S1 to S4 Series

• Snapdragon S1 to S4 were released, offering improved performance and power efficiency.
• Snapdragon S4 (e.g., MSM8960) featured Krait CPU cores, which were custom-designed by Qualcomm.
• These chips became popular in early Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One series.

2013: Snapdragon 800 Series Launch

• The Snapdragon 800 line debuted with flagship performance, starting with the Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974).
• Featured quad-core Krait 400 CPU and Adreno 330 GPU.
• Used in high-end phones like the LG G2 and Nexus 5.

2015–2016: Snapdragon 810 Controversy

• Snapdragon 810 was Qualcomm’s attempt at an octa-core flagship chip, but it suffered from overheating issues.
• Led to performance throttling and criticism, prompting some manufacturers to skip or delay adoption.

2016 Onward: 820/835/845 and Custom Cores

• Qualcomm rebounded with the Snapdragon 820, featuring its custom Kryo CPU architecture.
• Continued evolution through Snapdragon 835, 845, and 855, with significant gains in AI, GPU, and camera processing.

2020s: 5G and Beyond

• Snapdragon chips increasingly integrated 5G modems, starting with the Snapdragon 765 (mid-range) and 865 (flagship).
• Qualcomm began separating modems (e.g., X55, X60) from CPUs in certain chips and also integrating them in others.

2021: Snapdragon 8 Series Redesign

• Introduced a new naming convention: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 instead of Snapdragon 895.
• 8 Gen 1 and later 8+ Gen 1 and 8 Gen 2 offered major upgrades in AI, gaming, photography, and connectivity.

2023–2024: Snapdragon X Series & Laptops

• Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X series, aimed at Windows laptops, featuring Oryon CPU cores based on Nuvia technology (acquired in 2021).
• Snapdragon X Elite, announced in 2023, marked a major push into the laptop market as a competitor to Apple’s M-series and Intel chips.

Notable Features Over Time

• Integrated 4G/5G modems (Snapdragon X series)

• Custom Kryo/Oryon CPU cores

• Adreno GPUs for gaming

• Hexagon DSPs for AI/ML

• Spectra ISPs for photography

• Elite Gaming and Quick Charge tech

Would you like a timeline infographic or a more technical breakdown of specific generations like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or the Snapdragon X Elite?

Amit Kumar 

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