Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is now official with groundbreaking AI and video capabilities

Qualcomm has officially revealed its next-generation mobile powerhouse, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, during its Snapdragon Summit, setting the stage for the next era of flagship Android smartphones. The new system-on-chip (SoC) promises significant advancements in artificial intelligence, video processing, and overall efficiency, aiming to redefine what users can expect from premium mobile devices in late 2025 and into 2026.

Next-Level Performance

At the heart of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 lies Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU, featuring two high-performance Prime cores clocked at up to 4.6GHz alongside six Performance cores reaching speeds of 3.62GHz. According to Qualcomm, these enhancements translate into a 20% boost in raw performance compared to the previous generation, coupled with up to 35% better power efficiency. When measured across the full system, the company reports a 16% overall improvement, underscoring the balance between raw power and energy conservation.

The Adreno GPU also receives a major upgrade, with claims of up to 23% improved gaming performance while consuming 20% less power. This combination of CPU and GPU enhancements signals a strong push toward seamless gaming, advanced productivity, and robust multimedia performance, all without compromising battery life.

AI at the Core

Artificial intelligence is positioned as the defining feature of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The Hexagon Neural Processing Unit (NPU) has been reengineered to deliver a 37% increase in speed and 16% greater efficiency, optimized for highly contextual, personalized AI experiences. Qualcomm has dubbed this era “agentic AI,” highlighting on-device agents capable of learning, automating tasks, and interacting naturally with users in real time.

The improvements to Qualcomm’s AI processing are not limited to smartphones. The company also showcased the X2 Elite and Extreme processors, which incorporate similar Hexagon enhancements for flagship ARM-based PCs. Oppo demonstrated on-device AI inference using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, achieving over 200 tokens per second and handling context lengths of up to 128K—equivalent to roughly 200,000 words or 300 pages—entirely without offloading to cloud services.

A Leap Forward for Mobile Video

Content creators will also benefit from the 8 Elite Gen 5’s video capabilities. Qualcomm announced that the SoC is the first mobile platform to support the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, enabling near-lossless capture and unparalleled flexibility in post-production workflows. Photographers and videographers can leverage up to 48MP triple-camera setups and 108MP single sensors, enhanced by technologies like Dragon Fusion computational imaging, context-aware autofocus, and a fully computational video pipeline.

These upgrades suggest that high-end smartphones powered by this chipset will approach professional-grade video and photography quality, making devices more versatile for creators who demand cinematic precision on mobile platforms.

Connectivity and Gaming Innovations

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 integrates the X85 modem, promising faster and more stable connections. Qualcomm specifically highlights AI-enhanced Wi-Fi to reduce gaming latency, which could provide competitive mobile gamers with a smoother, more responsive experience.

For developers and gaming enthusiasts, the chipset now offers full compatibility with Unreal Engine 5, including mesh shading support. This allows more efficient grouping of complex geometry in graphically intensive games and smarter GPU-driven rendering, boosting both performance and efficiency. Additionally, improved graphics development tools are expected to make it easier for studios to optimize content for mobile platforms.

A Global Launch

The first wave of smartphones featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is already underway, spearheaded by Xiaomi’s 17 series. Other manufacturers, including OnePlus, Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and additional global brands, are expected to adopt the platform shortly thereafter. Qualcomm’s push with the 8 Elite Gen 5 highlights the company’s commitment to delivering flagship-level performance across multiple manufacturers while setting new standards for AI, video, and gaming on mobile devices.