Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, its new flagship system-on-chip for premium smartphones, positioning it as the fastest mobile SoC available today. The chip succeeds last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and is built on TSMC’s 3nm process, bringing CPU, GPU, NPU, camera, modem, and connectivity upgrades aimed at flagship devices.
Key specifications and platform features
- CPU: Qualcomm 3rd Gen Oryon architecture with 2x 4.61 GHz prime cores and 6x 3.63 GHz high-performance cores; maximum clock 4.6 GHz.
- GPU: Adreno 840 with 18 MB Adreno High Performance Memory and Unreal Engine 5 support.
- NPU: New Hexagon NPU with expanded on-device AI capabilities, including support for up to 220 tokens per second and a 32,000-token context window with 2-bit support.
- Fabrication: TSMC 3 nm.
- Modem and connectivity: Snapdragon X85 modem with up to 12.5 Gbps downlink and 3.7 Gbps uplink; FastConnect 7900 connectivity system.
- Storage and power: UFS 4.1 storage and QuickCharge 5 support.
- Imaging and media: Triple 20-bit ISP, world’s first hardware Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, Dragon Fusion Video, Snapdragon AudioSense, reflection removal, and Night Vision 3.0.
Performance and efficiency gains over the previous generation
Qualcomm states the new SoC brings multiple measurable improvements compared with the Snapdragon 8 Elite:
- CPU: 20% higher single-core performance; 17% faster multi-core performance; 32% higher responsiveness; 35% more power-efficient.
- GPU and graphics memory: 23% faster GPU performance; 25% faster ray-tracing; 38% faster graphics memory; 10% more power-efficient graphics memory; 20% more power-efficient GPU.
- NPU and AI: 37% faster NPU performance; 16% more power-efficient NPU; 30% faster AI interface for 5G performance.
- Connectivity and gaming: 50% lower gaming latency with AI-enhanced Wi‑Fi.
- Overall: 16% better overall SoC efficiency.
Qualcomm also highlights a fourfold increase in dynamic range and upgraded camera processing via the 20-bit ISP.
Samsung and other OEM partners; device outlook
Qualcomm published a list of manufacturers confirmed to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, naming OnePlus, Oppo, Poco, Realme, Redmi, Redmagic, ROG, Samsung, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Honor, iQOO, Nubia and others. Samsung’s inclusion suggests the Galaxy S26 series may ship with the new Snapdragon in markets where Samsung uses Qualcomm silicon, continuing the companies’ recent collaboration on “For Galaxy” tuned Snapdragon variants for Samsung flagships. The “For Galaxy” approach has historically produced Snapdragon chips optimized for higher performance and efficiency in Galaxy devices.
Reports indicate the iQOO 15 will arrive with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in India, and Xiaomi has confirmed the upcoming Xiaomi 15 series will use the new chipset.
Market positioning
Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 outperforms competing flagship mobile SoCs including Apple’s A19 Pro and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400, positioning devices that use the chip as contenders for the highest-performing smartphones on the market. The combination of higher CPU and GPU throughput, expanded on-device AI capability, advanced imaging hardware and a top-end modem is intended to deliver both sustained performance and improved power efficiency for flagship phones.
