Background

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has become the processor of choice for many 2025 Android flagships, including Samsung’s Galaxy S25, Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra and OnePlus 13. The chip has performed well in testing and is recognized for delivering top‑tier performance across the Android ecosystem, excluding Google‑branded devices.

New Chip Announcement

At the upcoming Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm plans to unveil its next‑generation processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The company announced the chip on Monday, noting that it is expected to power the next wave of premium Android smartphones. The new processor builds on the success of the current Elite model, incorporating Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU to deliver a notable performance uplift.

Naming Strategy Explained

Qualcomm published a blog post clarifying the naming convention behind the new chip. While the previous generation would traditionally have been called Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Qualcomm opted to replace the “4” with “Elite” to highlight the enhanced capabilities introduced by the Oryon core. This decision allows the chip to retain the “Elite” branding while also aligning with the original series nomenclature, marking it as the fifth generation of Snapdragon 8 processors.

In the post, Qualcomm emphasized that the “Elite” designation is reserved for its most industry‑leading products, promising that the label represents a commitment to pushing boundaries in capability, experience and innovation.

Industry Impact

The introduction of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 signals Qualcomm’s intent to maintain its dominant position in the high‑end Android market. By coupling the Elite branding with a clear generational marker, the company aims to reassure OEMs and consumers alike that the new chip offers both evolutionary performance improvements and a strategic continuity with the Snapdragon 8 lineage.

The upcoming summit will provide the first public look at the chip’s capabilities, with industry analysts and journalists expected to evaluate its performance against existing flagship processors. Qualcomm’s messaging suggests confidence that the new processor will set the benchmark for next‑year Android flagship devices.

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