As is the strategy every year, Snapdragon unveiled its flagship chipset — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, designed to power the latest batches of flagship smartphones. However, this year, the company has taken things up a notch. In just under two months, the company has introduced the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 5, a lighter version of its Elite counterpart.
The chipset’s main target audience is upper mid-premium phones with major updates in AI and connectivity. Excited? Let’s take a look at the detailed specs of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.
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CPU and Process
Qualcomm’s latest chipset is built on TSMC’s 3nm process, which translates to more power efficiency. Other than that, similar to the Elite version, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 has a custom third-gen Oryon CPU in an 8-core configuration with a 2 plus 6 layout.
While the core composition is the same, the main difference is in clocking speed. The two prime Oryon cores have a lower clocking speed of 3.8 GHz, while the six performance cores are clocked at about 3.32 GHz. The company claims around 36 percent higher CPU performance versus the previous 8 Gen 3. It is worth noting that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite has its prime cores at 4.6 GHz and the performance cores at 3.63 GHz.
GPU and Gaming Features
Now, let us talk about the GPU, the graphics in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 are handled by the new Adreno 840, which is similar to the Elite’s architecture without its high-performance memory subsystem. According to Qualcomm and the reports from third parties, the GPU performance is 11% higher in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 than in the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This can ensure smoother frame rates and better stability.
The GPU supports modern APIs like Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX level features, along with hardware-accelerated ray tracing similar to the Elite part.
Additionally, vendors can also tap into Qualcomm features such as Frame Motion Engine 3.0 to boost perceived frame rates or stabilize performance in demanding games.
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AI Engine and Camera Specs
One highlight about this new Snapdragon 8 chipset is that it uses an upgraded Hexagon NPU that is expected to deliver up to 46 percent faster AI performance as compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The working of the NPU is totally based on the ISP and GPU, so features like semantic segmentation, AI bokeh, and faster night mode can run smoothly on the camera app on the device.
Other than that, the Spectra AI ISP supports multi-camera setups and high-resolution sensors similar to the Elite platform, enabling features like dynamic range and real-time HDR video. That said, it is up to OEMs how they combine this Snapdragon 8 Gen 5’s feature with on-device AI for things like live background replacement, better subject detection, and smarter scene tuning in both photos and videos.
Connectivity
For connectivity, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 features a 5G modem with multi-gigabit downlink speeds, along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support. As per the reports, it is expected that the phones powered by this chipset will have a faster 5G network, new Wi-Fi routers, and low-latency accessories like TWS earbuds or controllers.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5: Specs That Matter
| CPU Architecture | Octa-core Custom Oryon CPU (2 x Prime cores @ 3.8GHz +6 Performance Cores @ 3.32 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 840 |
| NPU | Hexagon NPU |
| Imaging | Spectra AI ISP |
| Connectivity | 5G |
Overview
Qualcomm has positioned the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 as a cut-down version of the flagship, 8 Elite Gen 5. The chipset is aimed at the affordable flagships with a bit cut down on the specs as compared to the Elite one.
The OnePlus 15R will supposedly feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, and is basically aimed towards people who want strong CPU and GPU performance, improved AI, and improved connectivity without paying the full flagship price. For now, this chipset feels like a balanced option with some high-end features.
