Chipmaker Qualcomm is showing no signs of slowing down in powering the next generation of Android devices for the coming years. The Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU is already powering a bunch of devices, from smartphones to handhelds, but its successor may already be around the corner. Leaks are hinting at a potential release date for the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and some impressive benchmarks that could place it among the most powerful ARM chips that Apple has in its own lineup.
According to a post on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is tipped to feature two cores, both at 4.8GHz, which is a step up from its 4.32GHz predecessor. In leaked benchmarks, the Elite 2 allegedly achieved around 3.8 million points in AnTuTu V10, an Android benchmarking tool, which is a stark increase from the current chip, which can achieve 2.6 million.
That's a huge jump, and if we compare these alleged specs to Apple's M-Series chips, found in its Macs, iPads, iPhones, and more, the Elite 2 is almost as powerful as the latest M4 CPU, released in 2024.
Right now, the Snapdragon 8 Elite powers the best gaming phones, such as the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, able to run games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile with ease. However, there's no reason developers couldn't look into porting more demanding games that have found a home on Apple's devices, such as Resident Evil 3 Remake and Death Stranding. With the reported specs of the Elite 2, it could be more than a match for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 series, rumored to be launching at the end of this year.
Android devices like the Samsung S26 Ultra, its foldable line, as well as others from RedMagic, Asus, and more, could also take advantage of the Elite 2's power. It would certainly set off the next line of high-end Android phones with a bang.
But there's also the matter of the best retro handhelds that run on Android, too. The Retroid Pocket Classic, the upcoming Anbernic RG Slide, the Ayaneo Pocket S2, and many more all run on a Snapdragon chip, so if the Elite 2 were to debut in some handhelds as well, we could see plenty of games run at full speed that current devices struggle with.
It's going to be an exciting time once Qualcomm reveals its hand. But in the meantime, make sure to check out our guides to the best gaming tablets and the best budget gaming phones that are mostly powered by Snapdragon chips, with plenty of options to suit you.