Qualcomm’s next flagship chip is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Qualcomm has officially confirmed that its next flagship mobile processor will be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The new SoC is scheduled for a full reveal at the company’s Snapdragon Summit, which kicks off on September 23, and will directly succeed last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite.

You are probably scratching your head at the ‘Gen 5’ bit, especially since the previous chips were the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8 Elite. Qualcomm insists this is not a typo or a massive generational leap.

Just a little tweak

An official press release says that the company considers this the fifth generation of its premium 8-series platform since it switched to the single-digit naming system. The company claims this move simplifies how consumers understand its product roadmap.

Chief Marketing Officer Don McGuire wrote that Gen 5 is a signal that this platform is leading the family forward. Of course, this hasn’t stopped rumours suggesting the company is also avoiding the number four which is considered unlucky in China.

The ‘Elite’ tag is also sticking around. Qualcomm reserves this branding for its most advanced products that push the boundaries of performance and innovation.

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Last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite introduced the company’s custom Oryon CPU, and the new Gen 5 chip is expected to build on those advancements. This new silicon will be the brains behind many of 2026’s top-tier Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 series and the OnePlus 15.

Kicking things off first, however, will be Xiaomi, which is slated to launch its Xiaomi 17 series with the new chip shortly after the announcement. Leaks also suggest a slightly less powerful sibling chip, internally known as “SM8845”, may launch as the regular “Snapdragon 8 Gen 5”.