The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile chipset, built on a 3 nm process. It features a 3rd-generation Oryon CPU (2 prime cores up to 4.6 GHz and 6 performance cores up to 3.62 GHz), an upgraded Adreno GPU that delivers up to 23% better graphics performance with 20% less power draw, and a more powerful Hexagon NPU for advanced AI tasks (37% faster). With support for professional-grade video through the Advanced Professional Video codec, enhanced connectivity (5G, Wi-Fi 7), and smart on-device AI features, it aims to redefine what premium Android phones can do.
iQOO 15
The iQOO 15 is expected to launch in China next month, with an international debut likely before the end of the year. iQOO has already revealed the phone’s design and confirmed the most important detail: the iQOO 15 will run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, continuing the brand’s tradition of using Qualcomm’s top-tier processors in its flagships.
Xiaomi 17 Series
The Xiaomi 17 is the first phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, bringing major upgrades over its predecessor, including a 7,000mAh battery.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max also debut with the same chip and feature a 2.7-inch secondary display on the back, improved cameras, and refined designs. Xiaomi skipped the 16 series to align its new lineup directly against the iPhone 17 series.
Realme GT 8 Pro
Realme has confirmed the GT 8 Pro will launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The phone will be unveiled next month in China and will expand to global markets shortly afterward.
OnePlus & Samsung
- OnePlus has announced that it will be among the brands to release a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5-powered phone.
- Samsung is expected to use the chip in the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, potentially under a “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy” branding.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Highlights
Announced at the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, the new flagship processor is built on TSMC’s 3nm process and features:
- 3rd Gen Oryon CPU cores (2x 4.61GHz prime + 6x 3.63GHz performance cores)
- Adreno 840 GPU with 18MB high-performance memory & Unreal Engine 5 support
- Snapdragon X85 modem with up to 12.5Gbps downloads
- FastConnect 7900 system for next-gen connectivity
- QuickCharge 5 support
- Triple 20-bit ISP for advanced camera performance
- Samsung APV codec support
Qualcomm claims a 20% CPU performance boost over its predecessor, along with advanced AI features under its new “Agentic AI” branding.
Naming Explained
The “Gen 5” name may sound like Qualcomm skipped versions, but the company clarified its logic to remove confussion among snapdragon mobile phone enthusiast:
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Snapdragon 8 Elite (counted it as Gen 4)
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
According to Qualcomm, this naming better reflects milestones in its premium 8-series roadmap and simplifies things for consumers else they where looked as two different series products rather then one.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is set to power nearly every major flagship in 2025, starting with the Xiaomi 17 series, iQOO 15, Realme GT 8 Pro, and later the Galaxy S26 and OnePlus flagships.
