Hey everyone, I’m Manos (@Orange_Scooter on X, @mf__os on Instagram). I’m thrilled to be here on-site in Maui with so many fellow members of the Snapdragon Insiders community at the Snapdragon Summit 2024. It could not be more exciting to see how Snapdragon is leading the way by transforming performance and defining the future of the mobile industry. That was a major theme of Day 1 of the event—which I’m eager to recap for all of you.
I arrived early with my fellow Snapdragon Insiders in Hawaii on Sunday. We were greeted with incredible swag bags and the chance to mingle with other Snapdragon Insiders. However, it was not just catching up with old friends and meeting new ones on Day 0. We got an early preview of the announcements and demos that would be presented at the keynote address on Day 1. Anticipation and excitement were high!
And let me tell you, the great keynote from Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on Day 1 exceeded our already high expectations. The energy in the room was palpable when Cristiano announced the launch of the Snapdragon® 8 Elite mobile platform—underpinned by the powerhouse Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU—which promises to revolutionize on-device, intelligent mobile experiences. There were also some highly engaging walk-on appearances, including from Dr. T.M Roh, President of Samsung’s mobile division, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder of Meta, and Satya Nadella, CEO and Chairman of Microsoft.
We then took a deep dive into all the new possibilities enabled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform. Beyond the groundbreaking advances in speed and performance, and the jump in performance and efficiency, we were blown away by the depth of new mobile experiences that will be available to consumers soon: multi-modal AI at your fingertips, an AI-powered camera that redefines photography, raw power for revolutionary gaming and studio-quality audio.
From there, we had a jam-packed afternoon filled with exciting demos, letting us experience these new mobile experiences firsthand. At the Snapdragon City area, we saw demos on the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform including the capabilities for on-device AI, camera Insight AI, and video re-lighting. And in the Snapdragon Experience Zone, we explored more demos from Compute, mobile, sound, and AI - including a live DJ performance, and we got to see a live translation of ASL through on-device AI.
Oh, and there were adorable, real-life dogs, which made our collective days! At the appropriately named Paws for Pics demo, our furry best friends modeled for the camera, showcasing the new Snapdragon feature for mobile pet face detection and SDK hair enhancement functionalities. Even with all the wagging, jumping, and zoomies, the camera powered by Snapdragon produced pixel perfect shots. I have a dog, Ernie, so I thought this was an amazing feature. It’s a game changer to be able to use the camera in an auto mode instead of pro, so I can capture pictures faster rather than having to adjust my settings.
Last, and certainly not least, the Snapdragon Insiders were given a private Snap Spectacles demo, which blew my mind because I’m a huge XR user and gamer. To have this form factor in a pair of glasses was so impressive to see.
To round out our afternoon, we got a chance to personally meet Cristiano Amon. It’s too soon to say but it was a contender for my favorite moment from Snapdragon Summit 2024!
In typical Snapdragon Summit fashion, we wrapped up the day with a stunning dinner by the Ohi Pool and the chance to debrief with our fellow Snapdragon Insiders. It’s such an incredible opportunity to meet so many passionate tech fans from around the world and learn from some of the most visionary minds in the technology industry. And this is only Day 1 of the event! I can’t wait until tomorrow morning to hear more about how Snapdragon technology is bringing intelligent computing to the world of automotive.
I’m handing it off to one of my fellow Snapdragon Insiders tomorrow for Day 2’s recap, so stay tuned!
What was your most unexpected surprise from Day 1? Head over to Discord to let us know.
Join the conversation on Discord.
Do you have thoughts about this article? Join the conversation with fellow Snapdragon Insiders on Discord. Our Discord is the virtual lounge to talk shop about technology, Snapdragon events, and more with the community.
