Qualcomm recently unveiled its latest flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It is the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from last year and brings several upgrades across the board. But what’s special about the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and what exciting changes does it bring? Well, it’s time to deep dive into Qualcomm’s latest offering.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor Specifications
Before we learn more about Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, here is a quick look at the specifications of the flagship processor:
Aspects | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
Process | 3nm (N3e) TSMC |
Architecture | 64-bit |
Core Configuration | 2 x Prime Cores at 4.32GHz 6 Performance Cores at 3.53GHz |
GPU | Adreno 830 |
Clock Speed | 4.32 GHz |
RAM Type | Upto 24GB LPDDR5x at 4800MHz |
Storage Type | UFS 4.0 |
Modem | Qualcomm X80 5G |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6.0 |
ISP | Qualcomm Spectra ISP |
Video Recording Support | 8K HDR at 60 FPS, 4K at 120 FPS |
Display Support | 4K at 60Hz/2K at 240Hz |
Other Features | USB 3.1 Gen 2, Quick Charge 5, Snapdragon Elite Gaming, |
Snapdragon 8 Elite: What’s The Hype About?
The Snapdragon 8 Elite marks a substantial leap in mobile processors and uses the company’s 2nd generation of Oryon Cores. With a clock speed of 4.32GHz, it is one of the fastest mobile processors currently available; Qualcomm claims it is the fastest processor in the world, making it the best processor for mobile.
Also Read: Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Vs Bionic A18 Vs Dimensity 9400 – Battle Of Mobile Chipsets
To give you an idea, it is 45 per cent faster than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in CPU performance and 44 per cent more power efficient. Instead of relying on a mix of performance and efficiency cores, Qualcomm has opted for two prime cores and six performance cores, resulting in a massive leap in performance.
To complement them, the chipset boasts 24MB of L2 cache, the highest on a mobile chip, with support for up to 24GB of LPDRR5X RAM with a 4800MHz frequency.
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For gamers, the new Adreno 880 GPU can run any mobile game out there at the highest possible settings. It has a clock speed of 1.1GHz, the fastest for any mobile processor. It is also the first mobile chipset to support Unreal Engine 5.3 with Nanite virtualized geometry for improved game graphics. Compared to the 8 Gen 3, it brings 40 per cent uplift in performance with better ray tracing support.
It is based on a TSMC’s second-generation 3nm node (N3E) that competitors like Apple and MediaTek use for the A18 Pro and Dimensity 9400, respectively. This will help achieve better power savings while still delivering great performance.
Why Is It Called Snapdragon 8 Elite, Not 8 Gen 4?
If you have a keen eye on the smartphone world, you must have realized Qualcomm has always added a number to its chipsets, with the Snapdragon 800 series being the most popular. In 2021, the naming scheme was changed, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to streamline the convention. This was followed by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Also Read: Best Snapdragon Processor List: Qualcomm Chipsets Ranking
But why isn’t there a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 instead of a Snapdragon 8 Elite? Well, this is because Qualcomm once again changed the naming scheme and rebranded the 8 Gen 4 to 8 Elite. The Elite branding represents the best of Qualcomm, and the company released its Snapdragon X Elite chips for laptops earlier this year.
Since the Snapdragon 8 Elite uses the same Oryon cores found in the laptop processor, it makes sense to streamline all products under the Elite name. According to Qualcomm, it is calling it Elite for “showcasing the remarkable progress it represents for the industry.”
What Are Oryon Cores?
Qualcomm has been using custom cores from ARM in the past for its mobile chipset. However, this is changing with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. In 2021, Qualcomm acquired NUVIA, a company founded by ex-Apple employees working on a custom ARM chip.
Also Read: Top Mobile Phones With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 In India
These Oryon cores debuted in the Snapdragon X Elite laptop processor earlier this year and are now making their way onto smartphones. It marks a substantial leap in terms of performance, as we will see in the benchmarks section of this article.
Previously, any mobile chip used a combination of performance and efficiency cores to balance raw power and battery life. However, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the company has ditched those efficiency cores in favour of all performance cores, resulting in a massive boost in performance.
Snapdragon 8 Elite AI Features
Like any other processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is packed with AI features. The new Hexagon NPU can perform AI tasks 45 per cent faster while providing 45 per cent improved performance per watt.
Also Read: Snapdragon Vs Apple Bionic Processor: Choosing The Best Smartphone
This NPU consists of an 8-core scalar accelerator and a 6-core scalar accelerator supporting LLM (Large Language Models). The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor can use your voice to generate text, images, and audio on the device. Furthermore, it will support AI features like AI Expansion, AI Super Resolution, and AI segmentation.
Another cool feature is the ability to use your camera and import photos to detect your surroundings, similar to Google Lens. Similar to Magic Eraser on Pixel phones, you can now remove objects, but in videos. There is also a feature that lets you improve the skin tones of your face in low-light scenarios.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Benchmarks Scores
Here are all the benchmark scores of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset:
Benchmark | Scores |
Geekbench (Single Core/Multi Core) | 3033/9271 |
AnTuTu | 3094447 |
AnTuTu CPU | 583775 |
AnTuTu GPU | 1132574 |
AnTuTu Storage Test | 643562 |
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test (Highest Loop/Lowest Loop Score) | 6311/5258 |
3D Mark Solar Bay | 10614 |
Geekbench AI (Single Precision/Half Precision/Quantized Score) | 1970/2037/2416 |
GFXBench Aztec Ruins Vulkan (Higher Tier) 1440p | 125 FPS |
AIMark 3.0 | 309217 |
What does Snapdragon 8 Elite Mean for Mobile Gaming?
If you are a mobile gamer looking to buy a phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite, there is some good news for you. Apart from supporting Unreal Engine 5.3 with Nanite and 40 per cent improved GPU performance, Snapdragon 8 Elite also brings improved ray tracing support.
Also Read: Best Processor For Mobile Phone Top 100 Ranking List
Furthermore, you get Snapdragon Game Super Resolution for upscaling in games, apart from Adreno Frame Motion 2.1, which works similarly to DLSS and FSR to double the frame rate in games. There is also HDR 10-bit gaming support apart from variable refresh rate support from 1Hz to 240Hz to prevent screen tearing.
While there are apparent improvements in raw power, it brings new hope for mobile gamers with full Linux support. For those looking to emulate PC games on their phones, native Linux support will mean improved and stable frame rates. This can mark a new era in mobile gaming, paving the way for PC titles to be emulated smoothly on phones.
Also Read: Best Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Phones In India
Some reports claim that the Snapdragon 8 Elite can run the recently released Red Dead Redemption PC port at more than 160 FPS. Older titles like Assassin’s Black Flag can also achieve a stable 60 FPS on the chipset. Thanks to the new 3nm node, it will also consume less power when gaming, resulting in longer battery backup.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Upcoming Phones
Phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset have debuted in China and will soon be available worldwide. The Realme GT 7 Pro will be the first Snapdragon 8 Elite phone in India and will launch on November 4 in the country. It is already on sale in China.
Available Phones With Snapdragon 8 Elite:
Also Read: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: 5 Facts You Need To Know!
Upcoming And Expected Phones With Snapdragon 8 Elite:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- ASUS ROG Phone 9
- Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro
- Xiaomi Redmi K80 Pro
- OnePlus Open 2
- ASUS Zenfone 11
- OnePlus Ace 5 Pro
- Honor Magic 7
Summing It Up
The Snapdragon 8 Elite ushers a new era of computing with the fastest clock speed, memory speeds and GPU speeds on a mobile processor. It is the world’s most powerful mobile processor and certainly worthy of the new Elite branding. So, which feature of the Snapdragon 8 Elite are you most excited about and why? Do let us know in the comments section below!
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