Your next Android phone looks set to be a whole lot faster and much, much smarter. US firm Qualcomm has just announced the launch of its latest and greatest processor at its Summit in Hawaii, which promises to bring better performance to future flagship phones. In fact, Qualcomm is boasting that its refreshed Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers “the fastest mobile CPU in the world” and delivers “massive upgrades and experiences that users want today.”
For those not in the know, a vast number of Android phones are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, and the 8 Elite Gen 5 will now offer the ultimate performance boost.
It replaces the current Snapdragon 8 Elite, which powers devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 range and other flagships from the likes of Sony, Honor and OnePlus.
If you are wondering how Qualcomm has gone from the 8 Elite to a Gen 5 version so quickly, we have full details here.
With this new super brain inside, users can expect lightning-fast multitasking, seamless app switching and long game play with incredible performance and power efficiency.
Graphics should also look more fluid, and games on mobile devices could play as well as they do on a next-gen console.
There’s also good news for those who like making movies on their phones. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the world’s first mobile platform to record in the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, enabling professional-level video production.
Other features enabled by this chip include improved sound, longer battery life, quicker charging and more advance AI that should makes things feel far more intelligent.
It also works seamlessly with Qualcomm’s latest X85 5G Modem, which offers download speeds of up to 12.6Gbps whilst using less battery life.
“With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you are at the centre of your mobile experience. It enables personalised AI agents to see what you see, hear what you hear and think with you in real time,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handset, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 pushes the boundaries of personal AI, allowing you to experience the future of mobile technology today.”
So, which phones will get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5?
There’s no word on exact phones, but it has been confirmed that flagship call makers from Honour, iQOO, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, POCO, realme, REDMI, RedMagic, ROG, Samsung, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE. New devices will be launched in the coming days.