Qualcomm has announced two new chipsets that once again boost performance for Windows PCs and smartphones. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be the fastest mobile processor ever, while the Snapdragon X2 Elite is aimed at ultra-premium laptops. Both chips feature a powerful NPU. The X2 Elite can deliver 80 TOPS of AI computing power. The chips promise a breakthrough in performance and energy efficiency.
At the annual Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Qualcomm announced two new processors that are set to define a new standard in their respective market segments. Major smartphone manufacturers, including Honor, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, and Xiaomi, have already announced that they will launch devices with the new mobile chip in the coming months.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is once again faster and more energy efficient
For smartphones, Qualcomm is introducing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which will be the new world’s fastest mobile processor. The third-generation Oryon CPU delivers 20 percent better performance, while the new Adreno GPU delivers 23 percent more graphics power.
A special addition is support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec. This allows users to record professional video content with a smartphone for the first time. In addition, Christopher Patrick, SVP and General Manager of Handsets at Qualcomm, states that this chip also “enables personalized AI agents to see what you see, hear what you hear and think with you in real time.”
Snapdragon X2 Elite for professional workflows
The new Snapdragon X2 Elite series is designed for users who want to combine performance with good battery life. The Extreme variant focuses specifically on agentic AI experiences, complex data analysis, and professional media editing. With the third-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, this chip delivers up to 75 percent better performance than competing processors at the same power consumption, according to Qualcomm.
What stands out is the new Adreno GPU architecture, which achieves a 2,3x performance improvement per watt compared to the previous generation. This represents a significant step forward that makes it possible to run powerful graphics and AI workloads on thin and lightweight laptops.
The standard X2 Elite variant focuses on multitasking and, according to Qualcomm, offers up to 31 percent better performance with 43 percent lower power consumption than its predecessor. Kedar Kondap, SVP and General Manager of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, says these chips enable “legendary leaps in performance, AI processing and battery life.”
AI becomes central focus
Both chipsets share a powerful 80 TOPS Hexagon NPU, which Qualcomm claims is the fastest NPU for laptops. This AI chip offers more capabilities for AI applications than competing chips currently available. The chip is also suitable for Copilot+ PCs and supports advanced machine learning models.
The focus on AI fits in with Qualcomm’s broader strategy to position itself as a supplier of AI chips for devices. The company has also previously announced that it will serve data centers with its Oryon architecture. We had hoped for more news on this, but so far, nothing further has been announced.
Devices with Snapdragon X2 Elite are expected in the first half of 2026. The smartphone versions with 8 Elite Gen 5 will already be appearing from various manufacturers in the coming weeks.