The company announced its next flagship mobile processor ahead of the Snapdragon Summit on 23 September 2025.

Though the name seems to leap forward - skipping Elite Gen 2 through Gen 4 - Qualcomm has said the numbering reflects the evolution of its premium Snapdragon 8-series since it adopted a simplified single-digit naming scheme.

In a statement, Qualcomm said: “It might look like we skipped generations, but the truth is simpler - and more powerful.

“Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 marks the fifth generation of our premium 8-series platforms since we introduced our new single-digit naming and visual identity.

“By aligning with Gen 5, we’re reinforcing its leadership position and simplifying how consumers understand our product roadmap.”

Qualcomm clarified the Elite tag will remain reserved for the highest-performance products in the company’s portfolio.

Qualcomm said the previous Snapdragon 8 Elite, which introduced the custom Oryon CPU cores, “was introduced last year as a new tier within our premium lineup, marking unprecedented performance gains. As the first of its kind, it debuted as a standalone platform”.

Xiaomi has since confirmed its Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max phones will be the first to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is also expected to adopt the chip in some markets, likely under the name Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

With this naming move, Qualcomm aims to make its product line easier to follow for both consumers and OEMs, underlining that “Gen 5 isn’t just a number. It’s a signal that this platform leads the family forward.”