Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with Oryon CPU

Qualcomm announced its new flagship mobile processor, and it also has a new name, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The chip, other than a new name also feature significant performance improvements and enhanced AI capabilities through its second-generation Oryon CPU architecture. The chip will power premium Android smartphones from manufacturers including , OnePlus, and Xiaomi in the coming weeks.
The new processor delivers a 45% boost in CPU performance while consuming 27% less power compared to its predecessor, according to Qualcomm. Built on TSMC's 3nm process, the chip features two prime cores running at 4.32 GHz and six performance cores at 3.53 GHz, which the chipmaker says is the "world's fastest mobile CPU."
In benchmark comparisons, Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Elite outperforms Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 2 "Lunar Lake" processors, delivering 45% faster single and multi-core performance while using 27% less power.
Graphics performance sees a 40% improvement through a redesigned Adreno GPU with a new sliced architecture running at 1.10GHz. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is also the first mobile chip to fully support Unreal Engine 5.3 and its Nanite geometry system promises for an enhanced gaming experience.
The chip's AI processing capabilities have been upgraded with a new Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) that operates 45% faster than previous versions. This enables on-device support for multimodal AI assistants that can process text, images, and video simultaneously.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite brings support for photo captures of up to 320MP and enhances low-light photography capability while also introducing AI-powered features including a video object eraser tool and enhanced HDR processing. The platform also integrates Qualcomm's X80 5G modem, offering theoretical peak download speeds of 10 Gbps.
Major smartphone manufacturers including Asus, Honor, OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi are expected to launch devices featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite within weeks. Some of the first smartphones to come with Snapdragon 8 Elite are Xiaomi 15, OnePlus 13, iQoo 13, ROG Phone 9, Honor Magic 7, Realme GT7 Pro. Samsung is expected to announce Galaxy S25 series, which'll likely have Snapdragon 8 Elite, early next year.