Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Snapdragon X2 Elite series in India

Qualcomm Technologies has introduced its latest flagship processors at the Snapdragon Summit Global Highlights Meet in Goa, India. The company announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform, which it described as the world’s fastest mobile system-on-a-chip, alongside the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and X2 Elite processors for Windows PCs.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is designed to enhance mobile performance, efficiency and on-device artificial intelligence (AI). It features the third-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, which the company says delivers 20% higher performance, along with an upgraded Adreno GPU architecture and an enhanced Hexagon NPU for AI workloads. The platform also introduces support for Advanced Professional Video (APV) recording, aimed at enabling professional-level video production on smartphones.

Qualcomm confirmed that the new mobile platform will be adopted by several leading smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo and iQOO, with devices expected to launch in the coming days.

Snapdragon X2 Elite series

For the PC segment, Qualcomm showcased the Snapdragon X2 Elite series, built to power premium Windows 11 laptops. The X2 Elite Extreme, positioned as the top-tier offering, features up to 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI processing, described by the company as the fastest neural processing unit (NPU) for laptops. It is claimed to deliver up to 75% faster CPU performance compared with competitors at equivalent power.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X2 Elite is designed to improve multitasking, offering up to 31% better performance while using 43% less power than the previous generation. Devices powered by the new X2 Elite series are expected to arrive in the first half of 2026.

Savi Soin, Senior Vice President and President of Qualcomm India, said, “With the launch of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Snapdragon X2 Elite platforms, we are redefining what’s possible across mobile and PC experiences. These innovations mark a pivotal moment for India’s digital transformation—bringing personalised AI, unmatched performance, and power efficiency to the forefront.”

Several smartphone brands also announced plans to integrate the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 into their upcoming devices. iQOO confirmed it will launch the iQOO 15 with the chipset, while OnePlus announced that its forthcoming OnePlus 15 will feature the processor. Realme revealed that the Realme GT 8 Pro will be equipped with the platform, and Xiaomi said its upcoming Xiaomi 17 series would also adopt the technology. All these devices are expected to make their way to India very shortly.

Qualcomm stated that its latest platforms are intended to accelerate the adoption of AI in both mobile and PC devices, while offering improved efficiency and performance for consumers and businesses.