Are you curious about the latest smartphone processor that everyone’s talking about? The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is Qualcomm’s newest chip, announced on September 23, 2025, during the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. It’s a powerful upgrade designed to make your future phones faster, smarter, and more efficient. Devices like the Xiaomi 16 and Xiaomi 16 Pro are expected to reveal this chip in October 2025, along with other flagship phones.
This new Snapdragon promises better graphics, improved AI features, and longer battery life, so your phone can do more—whether you’re gaming, taking photos, or multitasking. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 special and what you can expect from upcoming smartphones powered by it.
Also Read: Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Which Is The Best?
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Release Date & Expected Timeline
Qualcomm usually shows their new chips in October or November. Now, it will come out around the same time as Apple’s iPhone 17 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Chip Name | Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 |
| Announcement Event | Snapdragon Summit 2025 |
| Event Dates | September 23 – 25, 2025 |
| Event Location | Hawaii |
| Expected First Phone Release | October 2025 |
| Likely First Devices | Xiaomi 16, Xiaomi 16 Pro |
| Example Phones with the Chip | OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro, Vivo X300 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Ultra, Galaxy S26 |
The very first smartphones launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset include the Xiaomi 17 series—specifically the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. These phones debuted as the earliest devices powered by the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, offering cutting-edge performance, larger battery capacities, and innovative features like secondary rear screens for camera previews and other interactive uses. The Pro and Pro Max variants especially stand out with their premium build and advanced capabilities powered by this new chipset.
Following Xiaomi, other notable launches include the Realme GT 7 Pro, which impressed with a large 6.78-inch LTPO OLED display, a 6500mAh battery, and fast 120W charging, positioning it as a balanced all-rounder flagship. The Asus ROG Phone 9 also entered the scene as a Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered gaming device with highly specialized features for gamers.
We can see this in the Galaxy S26, OnePlus 15, Realme GT 8 Pro, Vivo X300 Ultra, and Oppo Find X9 Ultra.
Also Read: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Dimensity 9400 Plus: Benchmarks, AI, Gaming, More!
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Features
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is made to give super-fast performance. Here is a detailed list of what we know so far about its features:
CPU and Architecture
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is built using 3nm chips by TSMC. Some reports say a 2nm version might be made by Samsung later. But nothing is official about that yet.
It has 8 cores in total. There are very powerful ones (prime Oryon cores) and six other ones (performance Oryon cores). These cores are the third and newest version of Qualcomm’s Oryon design. They’re faster and better than the ones used in older Snapdragon chips.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Chip Maker | Made using 3nm tech by TSMC |
| Possible Future Version | A 2nm version might come from Samsung (not confirmed yet) |
| Number of Cores | 8 cores in total |
| Core Design | Newest version of Qualcomm’s Oryon cores (3rd generation) |
| Top Speed (Normal Version) | Up to 4.6 GHz |
| Top Speed (Samsung Galaxy) | Up to 4.74 GHz |
| Chip Language (ISA) | Uses ARMv9.2-A |
| L3 Cache (Memory Inside) | 16 MB (more than the 12 MB in older chips) |
The fastest cores can go up to 4.6 GHz. Special Samsung version (called “For Galaxy”): Can go even faster, up to 4.74 GHz! The chip has ARMv9.2-A. This helps it handle advanced features. These features include better videos and games. It has 16 MB of L3 cache. That’s more than the 12 MB in the older chip.
Benchmark Performance
People say the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is a lot faster than the chip before it. Here’s what the results show:
Geekbench 6 (A speed test for the CPU):
- Single-Core Score: Between 3,325 and 4,000+. That’s about 25–30% faster than the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
- Multi-Core Score: Between 11,515 and 12,000+. It is around 10–15% better.
AnTuTu 10 (A full performance test):
- It got 3.8 to 3.81 million points. That’s a 38 to 40% increase compared to the older chip’s 2.8 to 3.1 million.
3DMark (Tests graphics power):
- It got about 27,833 points. This is way better than the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s 19,883.
The new Adreno 840 GPU can run heavy games at 120 FPS (frames per second). These games include PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Mobile Legends.
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) | 3,325 to 4,000+ |
| Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | 11,515 to 12,000+ |
| AnTuTu 10 | 3.8 to 3.81 million points |
| 3DMark (Graphics Test) | About 27,833 points |
These results show the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 might be just as good or even better than MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ and Apple’s A19 Pro.
Also Read: A18 Pro Vs A17 Pro Comparison: Benchmarks, Features, AI, And More!
Multimedia and Connectivity
The chip can handle cameras up to 320 MP. It can record videos in 8K at 60 frames per second and 4K at 120 frames per second. This chip supports popular video formats like H.264, H.265, AV1, VP8, and VP9. You will find sound formats like MP3, MP4, WAV, AAC, and more. It supports UFS 4.0 and 4.1. Overall, multimedia in this chip is going to be a delight.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Camera Support (ISP) | Up to 320MP camera |
| Video Recording | – 8K at 60 FPS – 4K at 120 FPS |
| Video Codecs | H.264, H.265, AV1, VP8, VP9 |
| Audio Codecs | AAC, AIFF, CAF, MP3, MP4, WAV |
| Storage Type | UFS 4.0 and UFS 4.1 |
| 5G Support | LTE Cat. 24 & 5G with Up to 5000 Mbps download speed |
| Wi-Fi Version | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NAVIC |
The chip uses the Snapdragon X90 modem. It supports download speeds up to 5000 Mbps. That’s super-fast internet using 5G. You will get Wi-Fi 7. It gives a faster and more stable wireless connection. It has Bluetooth 6.0.
GPU
The graphics chip is called Adreno 840. It’s a big upgrade from the older one called Adreno 830. It’s about 30% faster than the last version. It can run up to 1.35 GHz. This is faster than the old one that went up to 1.1 GHz.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| GPU Name | Adreno 840 |
| Speed Boost | About 30% faster than Adreno 830 (last version) |
| Max Speed | Up to 1.35 GHz (was 1.1 GHz before) |
| Graphics Memory (Cache) | 16 MB (up from 12 MB) |
| Performance (TFLOPS) | 3.99 trillion operations per second |
| RAM Support | Supports LPDDR5X May also support LPDDR6 (not confirmed) |
It now has 16 MB of special graphics memory, instead of 12 MB. This helps it draw things on the screen faster. It can do 3.99 trillion operations per second (called TFLOPS). This chip is really good for high-speed gaming.
It supports LPDDR5X RAM and might also support LPDDR6.
Also read: Cashify Explains: Which Smartphone Processors Are Best For Mobile Gaming?
AI and Neural Processing
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 has a new and better Hexagon NPU. It can do up to 100 trillion tasks every second (called 100 TOPS). This makes it great at handling smart features. You can use voice assistants, camera filters, and more. You won’t even need internet for these tasks.
Smart AI Features:
- Understanding voice commands.
- Improving photos and videos.
- Helping apps respond faster by doing AI tasks directly on the phone
Official details are still awaited till the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 release date.
Power Efficiency
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Power Usage (TDP) | Around 10 watts |
| Performance Boost | 4% faster than Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Power Savings | 9% less power used than previous version |
| Why It’s Better | Built with TSMC’s 3nm process |
Performance Review of Snapdragon 8 Elite 2
- Performance Reviews: Early reviews and consumer feedback indicate that the chip delivers substantial performance improvements, with benchmarks confirming the promised 25-30% single-core CPU boost and enhanced Adreno 840 GPU performance.
- Focus on AI: A key highlight in consumer reviews has been the seamless integration of on-device AI features, driven by the powerful new Hexagon NPU. Users are noting faster response times for AI-driven photo edits and voice commands.
- Power Efficiency: While performance has increased significantly, initial reports suggest the 3nm process node is effective at managing power consumption, leading to comparable or slightly improved battery life compared to the previous generation’s best devices.
- Market Reception: The chipset has been well-received as a worthy generational upgrade, setting a new benchmark for 2026 Android flagships.
First-User Reviews And Major Early Issues Reported
Early user reviews of Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered phones like the Xiaomi 17 series, Realme GT 7 Pro, and Asus ROG Phone 9 have been generally positive, praising the chipset’s excellent performance, smooth multitasking, fast gaming, and efficient battery usage thanks to the advanced 3nm process. Users appreciated the improved graphics, AI enhancements, and overall snappy responsiveness.
However, a few early issues have been reported as well:
- Some users experienced occasional overheating during intensive gaming or prolonged heavy usage.
- A small percentage noted inconsistent camera performance, likely due to ongoing software optimization.
- Battery drain under certain heavy multitasking conditions was mentioned but mostly resolved after firmware updates.
- Minor connectivity glitches with 5G networks were spotted by a few reviewers.
Overall, these issues appear typical for newly released flagship chipsets and are being actively addressed through updates, with most first users satisfied with the device’s speed and features.
In A Nutshell
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 release date will be a big deal in 2025. It’s launching on September 23, 2025. It comes with new Oryon CPU cores, Adreno 840 GPU, smart AI features. It is made with TSMC’s 3nm process. This chip will be faster, smarter, and more efficient than ever before.
It’s already scoring more than 3.8 million points on AnTuTu. This chip supports cool features like 8K video recording, Wi-Fi 7, and 120 FPS gaming. Xiaomi 16, Samsung Galaxy S26, and OnePlus 15 are likely to be the first to use it. With Apple and MediaTek also launching new chips in September, it would be interesting to see how they compare. What do you think about the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 release? Let me know in the comments section below.
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