Qualcomm thinks “8 Elite Gen 5” is a good name for its next flagship chipset

Main Image
  • Like
  • Comment
  • Share
TL; DR
  • Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset will reportedly be called Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
  • The name blends the Elite and Gen systems, which makes things unnecessarily complicated.
  • It is expected to be announced at the Snapdragon Summit on September 23, 2025.

Qualcomm is once again shaking up its Snapdragon naming scheme, and this time it might be pushing things a little too far. The company’s upcoming flagship chipset, set to debut in September 2025, will reportedly be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Yes, that’s the actual name, and no, you didn’t miss a Gen 4 somewhere along the way.

Qualcomm’s Flagship Chipset Naming History 

Qualcomm’s Flagship Chipset Naming

Looking back, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series once had a fairly straightforward naming history. The early flagships followed simple numbers: Snapdragon 845 in 2017, Snapdragon 855 in 2018, Snapdragon 865 in 2019, and Snapdragon 888 in 2020. Things changed in 2021 with the shift to a generational format, leading to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3.

In 2024, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a rebranded flagship meant to highlight its Oryon CPU cores and advanced AI features. While it stood as the true successor to the 8 Gen 3, the name broke from the “Gen” structure entirely. Now many of us assumed the next version would simply be the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, but Qualcomm seems to have other plans.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi’s In-House XRING O1 Chip On Xiaomi 15S Pro is As Powerful As the Snapdragon 8 Elite

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?

According to the latest leaks, 2025 will bring a three-tier setup: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at the very top (as per DCS), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 as a high-end but not ultimate option, and the Snapdragon 8s Gen 5 for upper-midrange devices. 

DCS

On paper, this could make sense for marketing, but in practice, it makes things unnecessarily complicated. After all, “8 Elite Gen 5” sounds like the 5th generation of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, when it’s actually the 2nd generation.

The criticism around this decision has already started piling up. Many argue that calling it “Snapdragon 8 Elite 2” would’ve been the more logical choice. Instead, Qualcomm has fused the Elite and Gen systems, creating a name that doesn’t quite flow.

ALSO READ: Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Appears In A GeekBench Listing Via Samsung’s Upcoming Flagship

What to expect from the “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5” or 8 Elite 2?

Naming aside, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (or 8 Elite 2) itself looks promising. It’s being built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm N3P process with the goal of bringing notable efficiency gains. Leaks suggest that it will use custom Oryon CPU cores pushing clock speeds of up to 4.6 GHz (and 4.74 GHz on the For Galaxy version), which is a major upgrade over the 8 Elite.

We’re also expecting an upgraded Adreno 840 GPU, and major improvements in AI performance, including multimodal processing capabilities. Leaked benchmarks of the chip on the S26 Edge suggest that it scores around 3,400 in Geekbench single-core and 11,000 in multi-core performance.

Qualcomm will officially unveil the new chipset on September 23, 2025, at the Snapdragon Summit, with the first smartphones powered by the chipset expected in October. What are your thoughts on the naming? Let us know in the comments section below.

ALSO READ: Exynos 2500 vs. Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Dimensity 9400: The Flagship Processors Comparison

You can follow Smartprix on TwitterFacebookInstagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest tech and auto newsreviews, and guides.

Mehtab AnsariMehtab Ansari
Mehtab Ansari is the Assistant Editor – Features & Reviews at Smartprix, where he writes about smartphones, laptops, audio gear, and everything in between. A computer science student by degree but a tech nerd by heart, he’s been into consumer tech for years and started reviewing products professionally in February 2024. He’s especially into photography and audio, often spending more time testing a smartphone’s camera than he probably should. For him, tech isn’t just work, it’s what he’s always thinking about.

Expertise 

Smartphones, laptops, tablets, monitors, smartwatches, photography, and audio gear. I’ve reviewed over 60 products across these categories on Smartprix in the past year and a half.

Education - Bachelor of Computer Applications – Nizam College, Hyderabad (2022–2025) | Joined Smartprix -February 2024 | Published Reviews & Stories - 723

Related Articles

ImageWe Tested the Honeywell Move Pure 5 in Delhi’s Pollution; Here’s How It Performed

Delhi’s air crisis may have eased this monsoon, but don’t be fooled, clean air is still a luxury. As I write this, the AQI sits at 97, far from the choking 1,000-plus readings we endured last winter, but still not safe by any global standard. Delhi remains one of the world’s most polluted capitals, and …

ImageQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Tipped to Smash AnTuTu Records with a 4.4 Million Score

The AnTuTu score of Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (or whatever it’s called), has been leaked. DCS on Weibo says that it has already achieved AnTuTu scores as high as 4.2 to 4.4 million, almost a 58% boost over the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s average 2.7 million.  The new chip reportedly …

ImageSnapdragon 8 Elite 2 (or 8 Gen 5) Might Set A New AnTuTu 10 Benchmark Record: Tipster

Qualcomm’s next big bet on the smartphone processor, the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, is about to arrive soon. While rumors about the chipset have been doing the rounds online for quite some time, the most recent (and the most interesting one) comes from China. Also Read: OnePlus Pad 3 Review: S-Pad-tacular Tablet with …

ImageSnapdragon 8s Elite: Qualcomm’s True ‘Affordable Flagship’ Chip Might Be Coming Soon

After the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 surprised many by skipping Qualcomm’s powerful Oryon cores, the actual “Elite” chip everyone expected might finally be on its way. Dubbed the Snapdragon 8s Elite or or 8 Plus (model number SM8845), this next-gen SoC is reportedly in testing, and it could be a game-changer for upper midrange and …

ImageSnapdragon 8s Elite Could Launch By March Next Year: Tipster

TL;DR There’s a good chance that the Snapdragon 8s Elite chipset will break cover in or around March 2025. The chipset will be a specced-down version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite launched earlier this year. After releasing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 last year, Qualcomm also unveiled a modified version of the chipset, Snapdragon 8s …

Discuss

Be the first to leave a comment.