Qualcomm has confirmed that its next flagship mobile processor will be officially known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The new naming convention marks a shift in branding to better reflect the positioning of its highest-end mobile chip, which will debut in upcoming flagship Android smartphones later this year.
To recap, the current Snapdragon 8 Elite was introduced in October 2024 and it was the brand’s first mobile platform with Oryon CPU, which peak clock speeds of 4.32GHz. Succeeding the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, you might think that the next follow up after the Snapdragon 8 Elite would be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite “Gen 2” but they have decided to continue its top-tier Snapdragon 8 lineup with “Gen 5”.
According to Qualcomm, the “Elite” designation is reserved for its top-tier products, setting them apart from the broader Snapdragon 8 Gen series. The company says this change is designed to make it clearer to consumers and partners that devices powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 represent the very best performance available in its portfolio with unprecedented gains.
Qualcomm emphasised that “Gen” still denotes generation, providing continuity with the Snapdragon 8 Gen naming system first introduced in 2021 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It added that while the naming may look new, it is actually a continuation of its established framework which evoles with the technology it represents.
Qualcomm emphasised that when you see the “Elite” name, it is a platform that truly delivers elite experiences. The Snapdragon 8 Elite debuted the Qualcomm Oryon CPU which is a custom built architecture from the ground up. It added that by designing their own CPU with the entire SoC in mind, they are able to achieve flexibility and optimisations needed for industry-leading speeds and incredible efficiency.
The full details of the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are expected to be revealed during the upcoming Snapdragon Summit 2025 which is scheduled on 23 to 25 September 2025 in Hawaii.
As revealed by Xiaomi recently, their upcoming flagships, the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, will be among the world’s first smartphones to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Similar to Qualcomm, the Chinese smartphone maker is also having a shake up in its naming convention by jumping from Xiaomi 15 to Xiaomi 17. As teased on Weibo, the new Xiaomi 17 Pro series will feature a large “bump” that not only houses its two main cameras but also a large edge-to-edge display which can be used to display notifications and custom wallpaper.
The Xiaomi 17 series is expected to launch later this month in mainland China.
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