Highlights
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for smartphones – Built on a 3nm process with Oryon CPU and next-gen Adreno GPU, boosts performance and efficiency for flagship Android phones.
- Snapdragon X2 Elite Series for laptops- Includes X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme with powerful NPUs (up to 80 TOPS), improved multitasking, and energy efficiency.
- Smartphone brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus will adopt the Gen 5 chip soon.
- Laptops with X2 Elite series will launch in H1 2026.
Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset to power the next generation of flagship Android smartphones. Alongside the mobile platform, the company also announced two new processors for Windows laptops, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and Snapdragon X2 Elite.
These laptop chips are designed to deliver faster performance, smarter AI, and improved efficiency for professionals handling demanding tasks such as video editing, data analysis, and multitasking. Here’s a rundown of everything we know about the newly launched chipset.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 introduces Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU, built on a 3nm process. The setup includes 2 Prime cores clocked up to 4.6GHz and 6 Performance cores up to 3.62GHz, delivering a 20% performance increase while being 35% more power efficient than its predecessor.
On the graphics side, the next-gen Adreno GPU provides a 23% overall performance boost while using 20% less power, with clock speeds reaching 1.2GHz. Qualcomm also introduced Adreno High Performance Memory (HPM), offering 18MB of dedicated cache that enhances bandwidth, reduces latency for gaming, and saves an additional 10% power.
AI capabilities are upgraded with the Hexagon NPU, which is 37% faster and offers 16% better performance per watt, emphasising on-device agentic AI.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the first to support Advanced Professional Video (APV), a near-lossless video capture format introduced in Android 16. Qualcomm also debuted Dragon Fusion, a fully computational video pipeline developed with ArcSoft, ensuring each video frame has snapshot-like detail, vibrant colours, deeper shadows, and striking highlights. The improved Spectra ISP features a 20-bit pipeline, delivering up to 4x higher dynamic ra
With Snapdragon Audio Sense, the chip delivers studio-quality sound in any environment, featuring wind noise rejection, audio zoom, and HDR audio. It processes audio through piezo-electric MEMS microphones with Qualcomm claiming this eliminates the need for lavalier or shotgun microphones.
OEM Adoption
Brands including Honor, iQOO, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, POCO, realme, Redmi, RedMagic, ROG, Samsung, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE are confirmed to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with the first devices set to launch in the coming days.
Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and X2 Elite
Qualcomm also introduced the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, targeted at ultra-premium laptops. It is powered by the new Oryon CPU and an upgraded Adreno GPU, capable of handling intensive tasks like 3D rendering and video editing while using less energy.
One of its standout features is the NPU, capable of performing 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS), making it one of the most powerful AI processors for laptops. This allows for faster AI-based editing, personalisation, and productivity features without slowing down other tasks.
The standard Snapdragon X2 Elite offers strong performance as well, boasting 31% faster multitasking and 43% improved power efficiency over the previous generation, making it a reliable choice for professionals who need long-lasting performance without frequent charging.
Both processors are tailored for sleek, lightweight laptops, striking a balance between portability and performance. According to Kedar Kondap, senior vice president and general manager of compute and gaming at Qualcomm, these chips are designed to deliver better speed, smarter AI capabilities, and longer battery life, making laptops more versatile for modern workloads.
Availability
Laptops featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme are expected to hit the market in the first half of 2026.
FAQs
Q1. What are the key upgrades in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
Answer. It features a 3nm Oryon CPU with up to 4.6GHz Prime cores, a next-gen Adreno GPU, improved AI via Hexagon NPU, and support for Advanced Professional Video and Dragon Fusion.
Q2. Which brands will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in smartphones?
Answer. Confirmed OEMs include Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, vivo, Honor, Sony, POCO, realme, RedMagic, ROG, and ZTE, with launches expected soon.
Q3. What makes the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme suitable for laptops?
Answer. It offers powerful AI performance with 80 TOPS, enhanced multitasking, and energy efficiency, ideal for demanding tasks like 3D rendering and video editing.