Qualcomm is reportedly working on a new addition to its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 lineup, even as rumours about the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series continue to gain attention. According to a tipster, the new chipset could deliver flagship-level performance while making premium smartphones more affordable.
The leaked processor is said to carry the model number SM8850-1-AB and is expected to remain in Qualcomm’s portfolio for a longer period. This means it could continue powering new smartphones even after the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series.
At present, Qualcomm has 3 known Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 variants. The SM8850-5-AC is a 7-core version used in devices such as the Oppo Find N6. The standard SM8850-AC features an 8-core CPU and powers smartphones including the OnePlus 15 and iQOO 15. Qualcomm also introduced an overclocked version as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 for Galaxy, which powers the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
According to the tipster, the new SM8850-1-AB variant is expected to deliver benchmark scores close to the standard 8-core version while retaining similar features. The OnePlus 15, powered by the standard chip, recorded 3,622 points in the single-core test and 10,712 points in the multi-core test. The new chipset is expected to appear in smartphones priced below CNY 4,000 (roughly Rs. 57,000) in China.
Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in September 2025. Built on TSMC’s 3nm N3P process, it features Qualcomm’s 3rd-generation Oryon CPU with 8 cores and a peak clock speed of 4.65GHz. The company claimed up to 23% better overall performance and 20% higher power efficiency than its predecessor.
Meanwhile, leaks suggest Qualcomm is also developing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, both expected to use TSMC’s 2nm N2P process and feature a 2+3+3 CPU configuration. The Pro variant is also tipped to support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage.
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