Qualcomm officially outs its next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, explains name change

Qualcomm is all systems go to unveil its next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile processor next week, with the company outing it a little early, and explaining why it's changed the name of its upcoming SoC.

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The company admits that it might look like it's skipped a few generations, but Qualcomm says the truth is simpler -- and more powerful -- as the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 marks the fifth generation of its premium 8-series platforms since Qualcomm shifted to its single-digit naming and visual identity years ago. Qualcomm adds "think of it like this: Gen 5 isn't just a number. It's a signal that this platform leads the family forward".

Qualcomm launched its Snapdragon 8 Elite last year, with the expected release of the next-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, but the shift directly into the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will definitely have users' heads spinning. Qualcomm can't quite nail down where they are with their naming scheme, which is why they've had to pre-announce the new naming before announcing the chip itself.

It started in 2021 with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, then we moved to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in 2022, then the Snapdragon Gen 3, and then last year Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which would've been the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4... and now we've gone all the way to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

In recent rumors, Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor has been clocked at a mighty-high 4.74GHz and spotted inside of Samsung's next-gen Galaxy S26 Edge smartphone that will release in 2026. You can read more about that in the link above, and more about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor here.