Qualcomm May Rename Next Flagship to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

Qualcomm may rename its next flagship mobile processor the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 rather than the expected Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, according to leaks posted on Chinese social media, a move that would align the Elite line with the broader Snapdragon Gen numbering while creating two tiers of flagship chips for Android phones. The posts, circulated this week by a prominent Weibo leaker, say the change would affect a chipset currently identified by internal codenames, with release speculation pointing to a late September announcement and device launches in October.

The naming shift is rooted in how Qualcomm has already upset its previous numbering convention. Last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite succeeded the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but was not labeled Gen 4. Leakers now suggest Qualcomm could label the next Elite as Gen 5 to bring the Elite and Gen lines into a shared family structure. Reports identifying the chipset vary. Some say the processor carrying the internal designation SM8550 will be marketed as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while others name SM8850 as the likely codename. Separately, the SM8445 part is widely reported to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, an almost-flagship chip expected...