Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 to Power Android Flagships
Qualcomm has confirmed the arrival of its latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The chipset will debut at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, on September 23. This announcement also ends speculation about the naming convention, as the company skipped several numbers to position the new release as the fifth generation of its premium 8-series platforms.
According to Qualcomm, the updated name is intended to simplify consumer understanding of its roadmap while reinforcing leadership in the mobile processor market. However, many tech enthusiasts remain skeptical of the explanation. Regardless of the naming debate, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is expected to deliver significant improvements in performance and efficiency compared to its predecessors.
Early Benchmarks and Performance Leaks
In the weeks ahead of its official debut, leaked Geekbench results have surfaced. These suggest the chipset is capable of scoring around 3025 in single-core tests and 9178 in multi-core tests. Reports indicate these results came from the Xiaomi 17 series, which will be the first smartphone line powered by the new processor.
For context, last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite devices, such as the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13, produced similar single-core numbers but slightly lower multi-core scores. Consequently, expectations are high that the Gen 5 chip will offer enhanced performance under real-world conditions, particularly in multi-threaded applications.
Devices Expected to Feature Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The rollout of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is set to impact a wide range of Android flagships. Confirmed and rumored devices expected to feature the processor include:
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Xiaomi 17 series
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Samsung Galaxy S26 series
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OnePlus 15
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iQOO 15
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Realme GT 8 Pro
With these models, Snapdragon aims to solidify its dominance in the premium Android market. Therefore, the next wave of smartphones launching in late 2025 and early 2026 will likely rely on this chipset to deliver cutting-edge performance.
