Qualcomm has unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, designed to bring premium performance and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to a broader range of Android smartphones.
The new chip is produced using a 3-nanometer process, aiming to offer an impressive flagship-tier experience at a more accessible price point than Qualcomm’s absolute top-tier processors, such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 slated for 2025.
Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the new chip boasts significant performance enhancements. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is 36% faster, while the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) sees an 11% speed improvement.
On-device artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, handled by the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), are 46% more efficient. Overall power consumption has been reduced by 13%.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 integrates a third-generation Oryon CPU architecture, an Adreno 840 GPU with Frame Motion Engine 3.0, and a Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. Its CPU configuration includes two Prime cores capable of speeds up to 3.80 GHz for demanding tasks like gaming, alongside six Performance cores running at up to 3.32 GHz for general high-performance operations.
It also features a Qualcomm Spectra Image Signal Processor (ISP) and an X80 5G Modem-RF System, components also found in the 2024 flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
OnePlus was the first manufacturer to launch a premium smartphone powered by the new chipset. The OnePlus Ace 6T debuted in China on November 24, 2025, and is expected to launch globally as the OnePlus 15R.
Other smartphone brands, including iQOO, Motorola, and Vivo, are also preparing to introduce new models equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 in the near future.