Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is here—The new fastest mobile chip in the world?

Qualcomm, on schedule today, launched the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 now official

Qualcom Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is now official and it is probably the fatest mobile SoC yet

Challenging Apple's A19 Pro and MediaTek's Dimensity 9500, the company claims that this is most advanced mobile chipset yet. Qualcomm also claimed that this is the world's fastest system-on-a-chip yet.

This 3nm flagship chip uses the new 3rd Gen Qualcomm Oryon CPU, delivering a massive 20 percent uplift in processing power, paired with a new Adreno GPU, which pushes graphics performance up by 23 percent.

For AI, Qualcomm said that it has a 37 percent boost in NPU performance, enabling on-device agentic AI assistants that can learn, adapt, and respond in real time—even without sending data to the cloud for tighter privacy. 

The chip also has  Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, unlocking studio-grade video capabilities straight from your phone—great for creators.

Qualcomm explains that the new chip also supports cutting-edge connectivity, with WiFi 7 and 5G enhancements that ensure lightning-fast downloads and seamless streaming.

With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you are at the center of your mobile experience. It enables personalized 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, mobile handset, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 key features

• 3rd Gen Qualcomm Oryon CPU - 20 percent faster performance, 35 percent better power efficiency
• New Adreno GPU - 23 percent improved graphics, 20 percent lower power consumption
• Unreal Engine 5, Mesh Sading, Tile Memory Heap
• Hexagon NPU - 37 percent faster, 220 tokens per second
• Advanced Professional Video (APV) Codec
• Qualcomm Spectra AI ISP - Triple 20-bit ISP
• aptX Lossless Technology - 24-bit/96kHz lossless wireless music streaming 
• Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF System
• 4th generation Qualcomm 5G AI Processor
• WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, Ultra Wideband
• Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 Mobile Connectivity System

HONOR, iQOO, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, POCO, realme, REDMI, RedMagic, ROG, Samsung, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE are among the first brands to use the new chip.

Meanwhile, realme claims that the chip will come with an over 4 million AnTuTu score with its upcoming GT 8 Pro.

New devices will be launched in the coming days.