Snapdragon 8 Elite 2: Upcoming flagship could launch with an entirely different name

Digital Chat Station over at Weibo states the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (model number SM8850) could launch as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. His machine-translated Weibo post uses the term tentative, implying it is not set in stone yet. Knowing Qualcomm, it is entirely plausible, and this time, it makes an iota of sense.

An earlier rumour suggested that Qualcomm has an intermediate chip (SM8845) that sits between the Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750) and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8850). Perhaps that could be the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 4 to make the lineup more well-rounded.

To call Qualcomm's smartphone SoC naming schemes inconsistent would be an understatement. In recent history, it was relatively straightforward until the introduction of the Snapdragon 865, which was followed by the Snapdragon 888 and, a year later, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Three generations later, the Snapdragon 8 Gen branding died and paved the way for the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Logic dictates that its successor would be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, and we won't have to wait much longer to find out because the next Snapdragon Summit is confirmed for September 23-25. The star of the show will be the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Phones powered by the SoC are expected to surface in October 2025.