Emir BardakçıQualcomm has now officially announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, which is positioned to offer high-end performance for more affordable flagships without compromising too much on efficiency and high-end AI capabilities. The new platform features a 3nm architecture and Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU, putting it in league with the high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite series. To Xiaomi fans, this means setting the stage for devices like upcoming POCO models, which often use these chipsets. You can check out similar processor reviews using our HyperOS updates section, Xiaomi devices hub, or POCO series archive here on XiaomiTime.
Architecture and Core Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is fabricated using TSMC’s 3nm process, utilizing a strong CPU configuration including two 3.8GHz prime cores and six 3.32GHz performance cores. This will let the distribution of performance workloads be well-balanced, taking into consideration stable energy efficiency. Compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from two years ago, Qualcomm claims a 36% increase in CPU performance, an 11% improvement in GPU operations, and 13% lower overall power consumption.
Improvements in Graphics and Gaming
The platform integrates the sliced Adreno 840 GPU, supported with Frame Motion Engine 3.0 for smoother graphics scaling and motion interpolation. Qualcomm excludes Adreno HPM on this version, but the overall GPU design remains capable of sustaining modern game engines. These improvements lead to consistent rendering quality during long gaming sessions, which enables better thermals and allows the frame rates to be sustained even on mid-premium smartphones.
AI Processing with Hexagon NPU
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 features Qualcomm’s latest Hexagon NPU, which provides a 46% boost to AI workloads over Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for even more sophisticated on-device AI models, enhanced multimodal input interactions, and faster processing for imagery, voice, and context. Coupled with the Spectra ISP and the X80 5G modem, it provides accelerated photography experiences, enhanced low-light capture, and reliable 5G performance that matches the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite platform.
Connectivity and Modem Capabilities
The chipset uses the X80 5G Modem-RF system, which supports high-bandwidth data transfer and advanced carrier aggregation. Qualcomm makes sure to include the same modem technology in the Snapdragon 8 Elite line here too, so there’s very little compromise among the performance tiers.
First Smartphone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
As per previous industry information, OnePlus Ace 6T will be the world’s first smartphone to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. The model is also tipped to make its international debut as the OnePlus 15R. On the other hand, another big launch happening today was the POCO F8 Ultra, boasting the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This elevates POCO’s new Ultra model to a higher performance class for users demanding high-level gaming and AI computation.
For Xiaomi, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 will probably make an appearance on future POCO devices outside China and in the Redmi K series in China for devices such as future successors of the Redmi K70.
