Snapdragon 8 Elite's new AI ISP unlocks a new dimension in mobile photography

Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices will offer unprecedented AI-powered photography features as the mobile platform features a brand new AI ISP that has been built from the ground up to work with the chipset’s Hexagon NPU at a fundamental level, unlocking a new dimension in power and functionality.

AI is now deeply rooted in the image processing pipeline

The pixel throughput has been increased by 35% to 4.3GP/s with the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s new AI ISP. The chipset is also capable of recording from three 48-megapixel sensors simultaneously at 30fps, from a singular sensor of up to 108-megapixel at 30 fps, as well as photo capture from up to 320-megapixel sensors.

Fundamental changes have also been made to how images are processed on the device. In the past, the ISP would process the image first and then send it to the Hexagon NPU for post-processing. The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s overhauled Hexagon Direct Link allows the NPU to directly access the native raw sensor data for the first time ever, making it possible to implement real-time AI-based enhancements at 4K 60fps. This also provides greater flexibility for device manufacturers to implement their own algorithms at any stage in the pipeline.

Another benefit of this is that AI assistants will now be able to see what you see through the camera, both the live view and on-demand, allowing you to interact and ask questions about the objects through the camera live view, with the processing happening on-device.

Devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite will deliver improved image quality courtesy of the chipset’s features like Limitless Segmentation, which has the capability to segment an image into more than 250 layers for more accurate optimization and real-time Insight AI, which is a collection of AI algorithms that enhance natural skin and sky tones even in challenging lighting conditions.

AI fairy dust has also been sprinkled on the three most important aspects of mobile photography, auto-focus, auto-exposure, and auto-white balance. Features like Video Object Eraser, previously available only on the cloud, will now run on-device, allowing you to remove unwanted elements from video clips securely on your smartphone or tablet.

Mobile device manufacturers will be able to tap into these Snapdragon 8 Elite enhancements and complement them with their own image processing algorithms and AI features to deliver an enhanced user experience. It’s not going to be a long wait until we see these features in action on consumer devices as many Qualcomm partners, including Samsung, are due to launch Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer: Qualcomm is hosting a large group of international media for the Snapdragon Summit 2024 from October 21-23 in Hawaii, including SamMobile. All opinions and analyses remain our own with Qualcomm receiving no advance preview or exercising any control over our coverage.