Snapdragon 8 Elite phones: this Qualcomm chip will power Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Qualcomm's next-gen mobile chip for top-tier Android phones isn't called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
⚙️ Qualcomm’s new 3nm chip to power many top Android phones in 2025
📆 The Realme GT 7 Pro will be the first phone with the chip in November
🟦 Samsung may be first in the US with Galaxy S25 series in late January
⚙️ AI-focused 8-core Oryon CPU sees a 45% CPU performance boost
🎮 The GPU sees a 40% gaming and 35% in ray tracing uptick
🍎 Qualcomm says it’ll outperform Apple’s A18 Pro chip in benchmarks
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset was announced today, and it’s bringing a new level of performance to next-generation Android phones. It’s the official sequel to the chip found in Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones that The Shortcut covered extensively, but Qualcomm is giving it a new name beyond what would’ve been Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is likely to power the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and almost every Android phone in 2025, will be a “generative AI powerhouse,” according to Qualcomm. Its System on a Chip utilizes an 8-core Oryon CPU for more on-device AI and an Adreno 830 GPU for up to a 40% boost in gaming performance.
Qualcomm is having its chipset launch event in Hawaii this week. Qualcomm hosted The Shortcut and other technology publications to benchmark and preview its next-generation chipset. We’ll have Snapdragon Summit news all week.
Now, onto the Snapdragon 8 Elite phones list…
Which phones will the Snapdragon 8 Elite be in?
Before we get into the specs and benchmarks, let me offer a list of Snapdragon 8 Elite phones, which is what many of you care about most, judging from our Gen 3 list.
You can expect all major phone manufacturers to use the 8 Elite in their smartphones in 2025 – besides the Google Pixel 10 and Apple’s iPhone 17 Air. The major star of the list is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is expected to launch in late January, as was teased during the OneUI 7 reveal that we reported on last month.
Snapdragon 8 Elite phones list
The first Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphones out of the gate will be Xiaomi 15 in October and Realme GT7 Pro in November. It’s no longer Samsung Galaxy leading the pack, as Chinese phone manufacturers now like to rush out devices with the latest chipset to wow consumers.
Realme GT7 Pro
Xiaomi 15
The OnePlus 13 might be among the next phones to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite System on a Chip, as it recently leaked with a new wood finish.
Rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite phones list
Officially, Qualcomm says that “in the coming weeks,” phone manufacturers are poised to launch devices from “ASUS, Honor, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, RealMe, Samsung, Vivo, Xiaomi, and more.”
Based on that information and what we know about last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen list, here’s our list of rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite phones.
Samsung Galaxy S25
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
OnePlus 13
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Motorola Razr+ 2025
Asus ROG Phone 9
Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
Oppo Find X8 Ultra
Honor Magic 7
Honor Magic 7 Pro
Vivo iQOO 13
Vivo iQOO 13 Pro
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro
ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Plus
Snapdragon 8 Elite specs
We’re basically getting a sneak peek at what the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and other Android smartphones will be capable of three months in advance.
At the heart of the Snapdragon 8 Elite is Qualcomm's Oryon CPU, an 8-core CPU configuration with two 4.32 power cores and six 3.53 smaller cores. It'll have both a 45% single-core and 45% multi-core improvement on the 8 Gen 3 chip. Web browsing is expected to be 62% faster. Qualcomm is sticking with DDR5 RAM, but upgrading it to a 5.3Gz dual-channel LPDDR5X RAM.
Snapdragon 8 Elite gaming performance
When it comes to gaming, Qualcomm says it'll have a 40% performance improvement with a 35% boost in ray tracing via a new sliced architecture. Basically, it seems like Qualcomm wants to match what Apple is capable of with its A18 Pro chipset and ability to run triple-A games on the iPhone 16 Pro series. We'll have performance benchmarks to prove all of these specs soon.
Snapdragon 8 Elite camera ISP
While we don't know the Samsung S25 Ultra camera capabilities, the Snapdragon 8 Elite gives us some insight because the Camera ISP allows for 33% more throughput with up to 4.3GP/s. It allows for limitless segmentation (up to 250 different layers) and comes with features like AI relighting, AI Pet Suite and Video Magic Eraser onboard.
Just as important as any of the specs above, all of this power is nothing without energy efficiency. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite is touting a 27% powering savings overall. Breaking down the number, its specs suggest a 44% CPU, 40% GPU, and 45% AI performance per watt.
The Shortcut will actually test out Qualcomm’s new chipset this week, so stay tuned for benchmarking scores from the Snapdragon Summit.