Qualcomm is preparing to officially introduce its next high-end mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, on September 23. With just a few months remaining before the announcement, early samples of the processor are reportedly being tested at clock speeds exceeding 5.00GHz. According to new leaks, the chip could deliver significant performance gains over its predecessor and may set new benchmarks in both single-core and multi-core tests.
A well-known source on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, Digital Chat Station, claims that engineering samples of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 are already hitting the 5.00GHz mark during internal testing. If accurate, this would mark a considerable jump from the previously known clock speeds of the Snapdragon 8 Elite series. The base performance cores on the current Snapdragon 8 Elite are rated at 4.32GHz, while the ‘Leading Edition’ variant pushes the frequency slightly higher to 4.47GHz.
This rumored increase in clock speed may be linked to Qualcomm’s decision to adopt TSMC’s N3P manufacturing node. The N3P is the third-generation 3nm process from TSMC and promises better performance-per-watt efficiency compared to earlier 4nm and 3nm implementations. This transition could allow Qualcomm to raise performance without severely impacting thermal or power efficiency, a balance that is essential for smartphones and other portable devices.
The report also revisits an earlier claim that the same SoC, previously referred to as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, would use Qualcomm’s in-house “Pegasus” cores. These custom cores are expected to replace ARM-designed performance cores in future Snapdragon chipsets, aiming to further optimize performance and efficiency for flagship devices.
While specific benchmark scores have not been officially confirmed, the same tipster previously mentioned that a prototype of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 achieved a score of 3.8 million points on AnTuTu. This would represent an improvement of around 40.7 percent compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Such gains, if realized in the final production version, could place the upcoming chipset ahead of its competitors in both raw performance and efficiency.
However, it’s worth noting that these details are based on early testing and are subject to change as Qualcomm continues to refine the chip. Thermal performance, battery impact, and real-world usage will all play a role in shaping the final configuration of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.
With the official reveal set for late September, further information should surface in the coming months. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is expected to power a wide range of flagship smartphones in 2025, and all eyes will be on Qualcomm to see how this new processor stacks up against rivals in an increasingly competitive mobile chipset market.
