Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Brings AI Push to Android Flagship Phones
Qualcomm has introduced its latest premium mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, positioning it as the fastest chip in the category. Here's everything you need to know
- Tech News
- 2 min read
New Chip from Qualcomm: Qualcomm has introduced its latest premium mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, positioning it as the fastest chip in the category. The launch, which followed MediaTek’s unveiling of the flagship Dimensity 9500 chip earlier this week, at the second India edition of the Snapdragon Summit focused on performance, on-device AI, and a stronger push into India’s device ecosystem.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, powered by Qualcomm’s 3rd Gen Oryon CPU, delivers 20% faster CPU performance, a 23% GPU boost, and 37% improved AI capability compared to the previous generation. It also brings Advanced Professional Video (APV) recording for higher-end content creation.
“With the launch of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Snapdragon X2 Elite platforms, we are redefining what’s possible across mobile and PC experiences,” said Savi Soin, Senior Vice President & President, Qualcomm India.
Smartphone makers including OnePlus, Xiaomi, realme, and iQOO confirmed that their upcoming Indian flagships will run on the new platform.
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“Performance isn’t just a feature—it’s who we are. The iQOO 15 will be among the first in India to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5,” said Nipun Marya, CEO, iQOO. Xiaomi India’s CMO Anuj Sharma added that the Xiaomi 17 series would also debut with the chip, “pushing the boundaries of what a flagship smartphone can achieve.”
For PCs, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, claiming up to 80 TOPS of AI performance, which makes it the world’s fastest NPU for laptops. The chips are designed for workloads such as media editing and AI multitasking, with multi-day battery life and native Windows 11 integration. Devices powered by the PC platforms are expected in the first half of 2026.
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The announcements reflect Qualcomm’s dual strategy: consolidating leadership in smartphones while making deeper inroads into the Windows PC market. With Indian brands and global players preparing to ship devices on these platforms, Qualcomm is betting that its AI-first approach will shape how consumers experience both mobile and PC performance over the next year, despite stiff competition from Taiwan-based MediaTek.