What just happened? Qualcomm announced it is changing the Snapdragon branding. Besides the marketing material, the chip manufacturer stated it would remove the "Qualcomm" from the chip names and modify the numbering system. We still don't know the new naming scheme, but the company promised more information at its upcoming flagship SoC announcement on November 30th.
Qualcomm has been using the same naming and numbering scheme in its SoCs since 2013, but it seems it's time to change that. The chip manufacturer announced a Snapdragon rebranding is coming, and it will first appear on its new SoC, set to be unveiled at the Snapdragon Tech Summit on November 30th.
From the marketing material to the naming of the upcoming Snapdragon SoCs, there will be noticeable changes in how Qualcomm identifies the Snapdragon brand. One of the most noticeable will be the removal of "Qualcomm" from chip names. We will still see Qualcomm associated with Snapdragon chips, but less often than it used to be.
Another noticeable change will be the three-digit numbering system we've been accustomed to seeing in Snapdragon SoC model names. From now on, Snapdragon chips will be identified by a single-digit series and generation, matching the naming of other Qualcomm products. The recently announced SoCs might be the last ones featuring the old naming convention.
Besides the different naming structures, the new marketing material will include a fresh take on Snapdragon's "iconic fireball," new badge designs with a more modern and minimalistic look, and the introduction of new representative colors (midnight, gunmetal, nickel, Snapdragon red, and gold).
The rebranding will also change what products will belong to Qualcomm's gold portfolio, which the chipmaker will now use exclusively for premium-tier products. Moreover, all new Snapdragon products will support 5G, removing the need to point out which chips support it. Finally, all Qualcomm products of the automotive portfolio will now feature the Snapdragon brand at the "platform and experience layer level."
Qualcomm said it would detail how the new chips are named at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, scheduled for November 30th at 3:00 pm PST, when the chipmaker announces its new top-tier SoC. Qualcomm posted a teaser showing the figure eight in all manners and forms that might give some clues as to what it has in mind for future branding (above).
In related news, Qualcomm's rival MediaTek launched the Dimensity 9000 SoC, hoping to maintain its growth as it keeps eating the competition's market share. This chip should rival Qualcomm's upcoming flagship SoC, but it's still too soon to choose sides on which one is the best option.
