Step aside, Snapdragon 8 Elite—there’s a new beast on the block, and it’s bringing flagship fire without the flagship price tag.
Powered by TSMC’s 3nm N3P Process, In-House Oryon Cores, and Rumored to Shake the Android Flagship Game to Its Core
Leaks are heating up around Qualcomm’s next underdog-champion, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 5, internally tagged as SM8845. But don’t let the “s” fool you. This isn’t some budget chip with training wheels—it’s rumored to match last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite in raw power, run on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm N3P node, and even feature Qualcomm’s own Oryon CPU cores—the same powerhouse tech behind the company’s next-gen Elite SoCs.
According to trusted Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, the 8s Gen 5 could hit shelves by late 2025, positioning itself as a “trimmed-down flagship”—only on paper. In practice? This silicon might blur the line between top-tier and premium mid-range like never before.
Snapdragon Summit Incoming—But the Real Drama Might Be in the Shadows
Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit kicks off on September 23. While all eyes are expected to be on the reveal of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, insiders say the real story might be what’s lurking just beneath the throne: Snapdragon 8s Gen 5.
This chip may offer flagship-level efficiency and performance at a lower price tier. Built on TSMC’s elite 3nm N3P process, the 8s Gen 5 doesn’t just inherit the bones of the Elite line—it shares its DNA, including parts of the GPU and IP architecture of the upcoming 8 Elite Gen 2.
Qualcomm is reportedly binning chips like Apple—handpicking the best silicon for Elite chips and reserving the slightly less pristine dies for the 8s lineup. The result? Flagship flavor without the luxury tax.
Oryon Inside: Qualcomm’s Silicon Secret Weapon
Here’s where things get even more interesting. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 5 is said to feature Oryon cores, Qualcomm’s in-house CPU design, making its way from Windows-on-ARM chips into the mobile battlefield. This could deliver a major uplift in performance-per-watt, an area where even Apple’s silicon dominance has gone largely unchallenged—until now.
With Oryon at its heart and TSMC’s 3nm process wrapping it all in hyper-efficient circuitry, the 8s Gen 5 could mark a turning point for Android phones gunning for high performance without breaking the bank—or the battery.
For OEMs, It’s a Dream Chip
If the rumors prove true, Snapdragon 8s Gen 5 is Qualcomm’s Trojan horse—a chip that gives phone makers all the firepower they want without shelling out for the Elite. It’s the ideal silicon for phones aiming to dominate the upper-midrange, without touching flagship margins. In other words, if you loved what the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 did in flagships, the 8s Gen 5 could deliver 90% of that at 60% the cost.
This strategic strike could expand Qualcomm’s grip on the premium tier and cut off MediaTek and Google Tensor ambitions at the knees, while still preserving the prestige of the “Elite” name for ultra-premium buyers.
But Let’s Wait
These are all based on leaks and whispers. The true test will be in the real-world devices, and we won’t see those until the end of 2025. But if DCS’s rumors track (and they usually do), the Snapdragon 8s Gen 5 might be the dark horse Android didn’t see coming.
For now, all eyes are on San Diego and Taiwan, where Qualcomm and TSMC are brewing up the next silicon showdown.
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