Qualcomm has confirmed the name for its next top-tier mobile chip. It will be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5. This new chip follows directly from the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which first appeared in September 2024.
This name might seem like a big jump, skipping several numbers. But Qualcomm has a clear reason for it. They started their flagship Snapdragon 8 series in 2021 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Then came the Gen 2 in 2022, and the Gen 3 in 2023. The chip launched in 2024, known as Snapdragon 8 Elite, was actually the fourth generation. This history helps explain why they chose “Snapdragon 8 Elite 5” for the fifth chip in the line. Qualcomm states it represents “a continuation of the established structure,” not a complete change in how they develop their chips.
Reports give us a peek at what to expect from the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5. It should come with Oryon CPU cores. The main core is expected to hit speeds of up to 4.6 GHz. There’s also talk of a special ‘For Galaxy’ or ‘Extreme Edition’ version. This one might push CPU speeds even higher, up to 4.7 GHz. For graphics, the chip is set to feature a new GPU, running at up to 1.2 GHz.
This new chip will be built using TSMC’s N3p 3-nanometer process. TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is a major player in chip manufacturing. Early tests on AnTuTu benchmark software show impressive results. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 achieved scores between 4.2 and 4.4 million points. This marks the highest score ever recorded on the AnTuTu platform.
Qualcomm plans to officially introduce the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 on September 23, 2025. This will happen at their annual Snapdragon Summit event in Maui, Hawaii. Rumors suggest that new flagship phones from Xiaomi will be the first to use this powerful chip. We might see it in the standard Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max models. These phones are also expected to launch sometime in September 2025.