Qualcomm has introduced its latest flagship mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, designed to power the next wave of Android flagships. The new SoC debuts a third-generation Oryon CPU, delivering significant gains in both single- and multi-core performance, alongside a faster Hexagon NPU built to enable more personalised, on-device AI experiences.
The CPU setup includes two prime cores clocked up to 4.6GHz and six performance cores up to 3.62GHz, delivering up to 35% better power efficiency and a 16% boost in overall SoC efficiency, as per the brand. Graphics performance also gets a lift, with the updated Adreno GPU promising up to 23% higher gaming performance while cutting power consumption by 20%.
The upgraded Hexagon NPU promises a 37% boost in performance while using less power than its predecessor. Together with the Snapdragon Sensing Hub, these advancements are said to enable more personalised, adaptive AI experiences that can continually learn and evolve based on user behaviour.
On the imaging front, the new ISP now supports the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec and introduces a computational video pipeline, applying AI enhancements to video frame by frame. It also brings smarter camera features like context-aware autofocus, auto exposure, and auto white balance for more accurate results in varied shooting conditions.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 also debuts the FastConnect 7900 connectivity suite, which combines Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and UWB support into a single chip. While UWB adoption still depends on device makers, Qualcomm says the new solution delivers up to 40% power savings compared to the previous generation. For mobile data, the integrated X85 modem supports speeds of up to 12.5Gbps downlink and 3.7Gbps uplink, while also improving efficiency and location accuracy.
Devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are expected to launch soon from all the major Android manufacturers.