Snapdragon 8s Elite release

Qualcomm may soon bring high-end performance to more affordable smartphones, thanks to the upcoming Snapdragon 8s Elite chipset, which could begin appearing in devices as early as next month. Originally believed to be launching in March, the Snapdragon 8s Elite now appears to be slated for an April debut. What makes the Snapdragon 8s Elite so interesting is its positioning between two of Qualcomm's recent heavy hitters—the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, there’s one notable caveat: the 8s Elite is rumored to use standard ARM cores rather than Qualcomm's custom Oryon cores, which have been a standout feature in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon X series. Despite being a "lite" version of Qualcomm’s elite chipset lineup, the Snapdragon 8s Elite is still expected to bring several flagship-tier features to the table. The first wave of Snapdragon 8s Elite-powered devices will likely come from Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, iQOO, and Honor, which often move quickly to adopt Qualcomm’s new chipsets. And with plenty of phones “sporting it,” the Snapdragon 8s Elite may become a go-to chip for 2025’s most competitive mid-tier handsets. iQOO has launched its newest flagship smartphone, the iQOO 15, in India, bringing one of the first devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset to global markets. Read more in our articles including "Snapdragon 8s Elite Could Power Midrange Phones as Early as April, Leak Suggests" and "iQOO 15 goes global with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip".