Qualcomm dropped a double blast out of Maui as they announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite for PCs and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for mobile.
First up, the Snapdragon X2 Elite name is actually a series, with the X2 Elite Extreme taking the crown seat that aims to power serious workloads like AI-powered data analytics, scientific research, and professional media editing, with a promise of up to 75% faster CPU performance at the same power levels compared to rivals.
It’s also packing a new Adreno GPU with a 2.3x jump in performance per watt and the world’s fastest laptop NPU, clocking in at 80 TOPS for concurrent AI experiences in Copilot+ PCs.
Meanwhile, the regular X2 Elite is just a slightly nerfed version of the former, boosting multitasking performance by up to 31% while using up to 43% less power than the previous generation, all while delivering multi-day battery life on thin and light machines. Devices powered by these processors are expected to land in the first half of 2026.
On the smartphone side, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, despite its weird name scheme change out of nowhere, will be the next-gen flagship mobile SoC with a 20% faster CPU, a 23% GPU performance bump, and a Hexagon NPU that’s 37% stronger than before, making it a beast for gaming and multitasking. But the real star is AI, with Qualcomm saying this chip can power personalized AI agents that continuously learn on-device, giving real-time suggestions and context-aware actions, all without data leaving your phone.
The 8 Elite Gen 5 is also the first mobile platform to support Advanced Professional Video (APV) recording, which means users can capture studio-grade video and have full creative control in post-production.
You’ll see it powering upcoming flagships from global brands including Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Sony, OPPO, vivo, and more, with devices launching in the coming days.
The post Qualcomm pushes new Snapdragon X2 Elite for PCs and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for mobile appeared first on Nasi Lemak Tech.