Several sources suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could be more powerful than the Apple A17 Pro and may support upscaling similar to NVIDIA DLSS. However, a source from Android Police warns that this capability could end up draining the battery on Android phones rather than enhancing the user experience.
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The concern is that Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) might cause image issues at lower frame rates. The artificial intelligence used in DLSS can make mistakes that become more noticeable in games not optimized to run at 60 or 90 fps, which is common for many Android games.
As a result, the extra workload from DLSS might not deliver the expected improvements and could lead to higher energy consumption. According to Android Police, phones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 may need a battery of at least 6,000mAh to last a full day.
The problem is that most smartphones have batteries of less than 5,000mAh, with only a few exceeding 5,500mAh. This could lead to disappointing battery life for users.
To address this, it might be better to focus on optimizing the chip and games for energy efficiency to extend battery life and achieve higher frame rates. The additional energy consumption from DLSS might not be worthwhile.
Additionally, the chip will require larger heat dissipation systems, which could compete for space with the battery. This could make it challenging to design a slim phone that avoids overheating and maintains good performance.