Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 launched, sets a new benchmark for Android

Qualcomm has finally pulled the wraps off its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship mobile processor. Yes, they jumped straight past Gen 3 and Gen 4, because why not? This is the new silicon superstar set to power the most desirable Android flagships through 2025 and 2026. Brands like Xiaomi, Samsung, and OnePlus are all queuing up to strap this chip under the hood. Xiaomi’s 17 series will be the first out of the gate, with the rest of the usual suspects not far behind. But here’s the real question; what makes this one special?

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Raising the stakes in video and AI

So, what’s the fuss? For starters, this is the first mobile chip to support the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, promising “near-lossless” video capture that filmmakers and content creators can tinker with in post-production. Qualcomm is also leaning on partners like ArcSoft and its own Dragon Fusion tech to treat every video frame like a standalone photo. To put it simply, video shot on a phone could soon look more cinematic than ever, provided handset makers actually roll it out.

ALSO READ: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 announced with some performance enhancements

Beyond video, AI is taking centre stage. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 debuts Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU, backed by a Hexagon NPU that is now 37 per cent faster and 16 per cent more efficient.

Qualcomm’s pitch this year is “agentic AI”, shifting phones from simply running AI features to enabling proactive, context-aware AI assistants that can learn tasks, automate routines, and interact more naturally. Combined with Android 16’s expanded AI hooks, this means on-device models that can plan, reason, and adapt, all without leaning too heavily on the cloud.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Power, efficiency and gaming muscle

It’s not just video where Qualcomm is flexing its muscles. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 hits peak CPU speeds of 4.6GHz, with whispers that Samsung’s Galaxy versions may clock even higher. The numbers translate into around 20 per cent more performance than the previous 8 Elite, while being 35 per cent more efficient.

Gaming gets a big lift too, thanks to a next-gen Adreno GPU with a 23 per cent performance jump, 20 per cent lower power draw, and a 1.2GHz clock speed. A new Adreno High Performance Memory (HPM) layer adds 18 MB of dedicated memory, boosting bandwidth, reducing fetch latency, and cutting power by 10 per cent.

ALSO READ: Snapdragon at Croma: Why retail is important for a chipset company

In practice, this means phones should run cooler, sustain higher frame rates, and last longer while playing demanding titles like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile.

Audio hasn’t been left behind either. Snapdragon Audio Sense promises “pro-level sound” anywhere, processing inputs from MEMS microphones with wind noise rejection, HDR audio, and even audio zoom. Qualcomm says this could eliminate the need for external lavalier or shotgun mics; a bold claim, but one that could appeal to vloggers and mobile creators.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is expected to power devices from a long list of brands, including Samsung, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, POCO, realme, Xiaomi, and Vivo. Xiaomi’s 17 series will be the first to launch, with Samsung and OnePlus expected to follow soon after.