Qualcomm has an Apple-like chip strategy with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Qualcomm has officially confirmed that a second premium-tier processor is coming later this year, called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. This new chipset will be part of a split within the company’s flagship Snapdragon 8 lineup, which is a first for the brand.

Two flagship chips

The announcement came at Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit, where it also unveiled its main flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. While the Elite model will likely power top-tier Android phones like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 series, the new 8 Gen 5 will sit just below it.

The company is being upfront about its new strategy. During a group interview, Alex Katouzian, Group GM of Mobile, Compute, and XR at Qualcomm, noted that the company is “bifurcating the premium tier” to give phone makers more options.

Katouzian even directly compared the move to Apple’s two-chip iPhone strategy. It was Apple that started this trend in 2023 with the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro, a step up from the A16 Bionic in the standard iPhone 15. The pattern has continued, with the iPhone 17 Pro models shipping with the A19 Pro this year while the regular iPhone 17 has the A19 chip.

ALSO READ: Upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones to wait for

Qualcomm has yet to share a specific release date, but it did reveal some technical details to journalists. Android Authority reports that the 8 Gen 5 will feature a 3nm TSMC design with custom Oryon CPU cores. It’s expected to have a 1+7 CPU layout, a different configuration than the 8 Elite family’s 2+6 setup.

The company also confirmed a “next-gen” Adreno GPU, a “powerful” NPU, and a “superior AI-ISP powered camera,” though more details are scarce. Either way, OnePlus says it will be the first to drop a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 phone. As for the first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone to ship, that honour goes to Xiaomi.