Qualcomm – Snapdragon Elite
Qualcomm will launch next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite in September
At Computex 2025, Qualcomm officially announced that its annual Snapdragon Summit will be held from September 23 to 25 in Hawaii, where the spotlight is expected to shine on its upcoming flagship mobile chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. While the full details are yet to be revealed, early leaks suggest the new processor could deliver significant improvements over its predecessor in both performance and efficiency.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is rumored to maintain the same 6+2 CPU core structure but introduce next-gen Nuvia-designed cores based on Arm’s v9 architecture. Built on TSMC’s cutting-edge N3P process, early benchmark results on AnTuTu hint at a 26% performance boost compared to last year’s chip. On the graphics front, Qualcomm’s new Adreno 840 GPU could be up to 30% faster, thanks to enhancements like a larger 16MB cache and support for LPDDR6 memory.
If Qualcomm follows its usual release timeline, smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could launch as early as October 2025. Flagship models from Xiaomi (Xiaomi 16), OnePlus (OnePlus 15), and Realme (GT8 Pro) are expected to adopt the chip. However, Samsung may skip the Elite 2 in its base Galaxy S26 and S26+ models, possibly using its in-house Exynos 2600 instead. A customized “Snapdragon for Galaxy” version is reportedly in development but might not be ready in time.
September’s summit is expected to offer a comprehensive look at Qualcomm’s mobile platform roadmap, and if the leaks are accurate, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could be one of the most powerful Android chips yet. With major upgrades in CPU, GPU, energy efficiency, and AI capabilities, the chip is positioned to compete directly with Apple’s A19 Pro, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500, and Xiaomi’s own Xring O1, all of which are also expected to debut this fall.
In addition to the smartphone SoC, Qualcomm is rumored to unveil the next version of its PC processor — the Snapdragon X Elite 2 (or X2 Elite) — during the same event. This chip is aimed at Windows laptops and could build upon the momentum of Qualcomm’s growing push into the desktop and notebook segment.
With increasing competition and the emergence of new players in the chipset arena, Qualcomm’s September event is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated tech announcements of the year. Whether the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 lives up to the hype will ultimately depend on real-world performance and how it stands up against rivals in the premium chip race.
