Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 brings major upgrades for affordable flagships, but one downgradeThe new chip sits underneath the 8 Elite Gen 5, but Qualcomm says it picks up where the 8 Gen 3 left off.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 brings major upgrades for affordable flagships, but one downgrade

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

TL;DR

• Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, which is positioned as a cheaper alternative to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
• Qualcomm has compared the new processor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, saying it’s a follow-up to 2024’s flagship SoC.
• OnePlus is expected to launch the first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phone before the end of the year.

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Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 a couple of months ago, but it also gave us a sneak peek at the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It’s taken a while, but the company has finally launched this non-Elite chipset.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which is built on TSMC’s 3nm manufacturing process, is positioned as the less impressive but still “premium” companion of the 8 Elite Gen 5. What’s particularly interesting is that Qualcomm is comparing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 rather than the Snapdragon 8 Elite or Snapdragon 8s Gen 4.

The new chip sits underneath the 8 Elite Gen 5, but Qualcomm says it picks up where the 8 Gen 3 left off.Hadlee Simons2025-11-26T06:30:19.000Z{}