Brace yourselves! Because we will officially see Qualcomm’s new and powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on September 23, 2025. It’s going to have some interesting developments for phones that will come out in 2026. This new chip has a faster CPU, stronger gaming performance, and better AI processing.
In this article, we will see the specs, performance, scores, and other details about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Chip. Let’s get started:
Also read: Funtouch OS 16 Update: Release Date, Features And Devices
Why Name It Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
Qualcomm has become conscious about naming the chips over the past few years. The new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is another example.
It would be called Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or Gen 2. But Qualcomm chose Gen 5 instead. This matches other chips in the Snapdragon 8 family. For example, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It is less powerful than the Elite version.
The name shows that the Elite series is the very best in Qualcomm’s lineup. The “Gen 5” means it comes after the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite (which is like Gen 4).
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is going to be used in many of the best phones coming in 2026. It includes
It’s competing against other top chips like:
- MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (launching on September 22, 2025)
- Apple A19 Pro (coming with the iPhone 17 on September 9, 2025)
Snadragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Variants And Availability
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will come in a few different versions. The special high-binned version will be only for Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series at first. It has prime CPU cores running at 4.74 GHz.
Here are the details:
| Version | Top Speed | Who Gets It | Used In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Gen 5 (High-Binned) | Up to 4.74 GHz | Only in Samsung Galaxy S26 (2025). May come to other brands in 2026 | Ultra-premium Samsung phones |
| Elite Gen 5 (Standard) | Up to 4.61 GHz | Xiaomi, OnePlus, iQOO, Realme, Honor: starting late 2025 | Flagship Android phones |
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 | Lower than Elite | Expected globally in 2025 | High-end phones (slightly cheaper) |
| Snapdragon 8s Elite | Lower speed, same cores | Rumoured for 2025 or 2026 | “Flagship killer” phones (mid-high range) |
Also read: Exynos 2500 Vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3? Find Out Which Is Faster!
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Features
Let’s check out the specs of this powerful chipset to have a better understanding:
CPU Architecture: Custom Oryon Cores
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has a special CPU called the Oryon. This is made by Qualcomm themselves. This is different from older Snapdragon chips that used ARM Cortex cores.
This chip is made with a super tiny and advanced 3nm process by TSMC. This helps it run fast and use less power.
The CPU has a “2+6” setup:
- 2 Prime Cores (called Oryon Phoenix L) that run really fast: up to 4.61 GHz. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones go even faster at 4.74 GHz!
- 6 Performance Cores (called Oryon Phoenix M) that run up to 3.63 GHz.
This chip doesn’t have any efficiency cores. Instead, these performance cores do both the heavy work and the lighter tasks.
This Oryon design is also used by Qualcomm in their laptop chips. It can be about 45% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in single-core and multi-core tasks. The chip also has 12 MB of L2 cache shared between the cores. This cache helps the CPU work faster by quickly getting the data it needs.
GPU: Adreno 840 for Awesome Graphics
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 uses the Adreno 840 GPU. It is a big upgrade from the older Adreno 830 in the previous chip.
This GPU runs at 1.2 GHz. This can improve game performance by up to 40% compared to before! It also supports Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite. This engine makes game graphics super detailed. The Chaos Physics engine works 60% faster for more realistic effects.
Because of these improvements, the chip is perfect for playing heavy games and using apps that need strong graphics. The Adreno 840 stays cooler and keeps working fast for longer. You won’t have to worry about overheating issues.
Imaging: Spectra AI ISP for Amazing Photos
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has a powerful Spectra AI Image Signal Processor (ISP). It can handle pictures from up to three 48-megapixel cameras simultaneously. It can also handle one super detailed camera with up to 320 megapixels!
This ISP can do semantic segmentation at 4K resolution. It can recognise and separate different parts of a photo, like people, sky, or trees. It can also make each part look better automatically.
This is because the AI chip (NPU) works directly with the camera sensor. It helps the phone take clearer and brighter photos. You will also see less noise in real-time.
AI Features: Upgraded Hexagon NPU
Every other chip is working on AI features. Similarly, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has a much better Hexagon NPU. This NPU is responsible for handling the AI features.
This new NPU is approximately 45% faster and uses 45% less power than its predecessor. It can work with smart AI models that understand things in many ways. Things like listening, seeing, and talking all at once will be faster in this chip.
It can do cool things like:
- Understand language in real-time (like voice assistants)
- Recognise images quickly
- Give you personalised experiences based on what you do
The NPU can handle up to 70 tokens per second on some big AI models. This means it can process a lot of info really fast. It also gets direct data from the camera sensor. It helps your phone improve pictures and videos instantly.
It supports Scalable Matrix Extension (SME). It makes AI tasks even faster on the phone. Overall, this means your phone will be smarter and better at running AI apps. The best part is, all of this will be integrated into your device. You won’t have to need an internet connection to do these tasks.
Also read: Exynos 2400 Vs Snapdragon 8 Elite: Best Mobile Processor Revealed!
Connectivity: Super Fast with Snapdragon X80 Modem
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has the Snapdragon X80 Modem. It can use both 5G mmWave and 5G Sub6 at the same time. This can give download speeds up to 10 Gbps and upload speeds up to 3.5 Gbps. You won’t have any issue in browsing or streaming your favourite shows.
This modem also supports Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN). Your phone can connect to satellites without needing extra parts. This will help in places where regular cell towers don’t work well.
It also comes with FastConnect 7900. There is added support for the newest Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB). These use 40% less power than older versions.
For audio, it supports aptX Adaptive and XPAN.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Benchmarks
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is one of the fastest mobile chips ever! In early tests, it scored over 4 million points on AnTuTu v11.
In Geekbench 6 tests, it also did great in both single-core and multi-core scores. Let’s check out the details:
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| AnTuTu v11 Score | 4 million points (50% increase over previous gen’s 2.66 million) |
| Geekbench 6 (Single/Multi) | Improved scores, even at underclocked 4.00 GHz on Galaxy S26 Edge |
| Performance vs Competitors | Competes with Dimensity 9500 and Apple A19 Pro |
| Power Consumption | Similar to predecessor, despite gains |
| Process Node | TSMC N3P 3nm, offering only 5–10% efficiency gain over prior 3nm |
| Battery Strategy | OEMs (e.g., Xiaomi, OnePlus) expected to use large silicon-carbon batteries |
This makes the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 one of the top chipsets in the world.
In The End
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is a huge upgrade from Qualcomm. It has super fast Oryon CPU cores, Adreno 840 GPU for amazing graphics, and Hexagon NPU for AI tasks. You also get 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6. In the end, if you are planning to buy an Android phone in 2026, you can wait to get incredible performance!
Let me know what you think of this in the comment section below. I would love to hear your thoughts.
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