In summary
- Qualcomm CEO confirms the first OEM for next flagship chipset during an earnings call
- Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 set for September launch
- Another 8s or 8 Plus model could shake up the mid-range
Qualcomm is expected to announce its new flagship processor in September, but we already know which phones will be the first to arrive with it under the hood.
During an earnings call, CEO Cristiano Amon talked about how it had extended its partnership with Xiaomi for various devices, confirming that it will be “the first OEM to launch with our next Snapdragon 8 Elite chip”.
This almost certainly means that the Xiaomi 16 series will be the first devices to officially launch with the Elite 2 – its assumed name, or the ‘SM8850’ for its model number.
The lineup, expected to consist of the 16, 16 Pro and 16 Ultra, typically get a Chinese launch in October, but there’s a chance we could get a sneak peek or confirmation at the upcoming Snapdragon Summit, which is confirmed for 23-25 September.
Amon indicated that AI will be a continued focus for the upcoming chip, adding that they “expect the range of on-device agentic AI use cases will continue to expand and reshape the mobile industry.”
The downside for UK and European fans of Xiaomi is that although the Xiaomi 16 series might be the first official phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, there’s likely to be a long wait for them to launch globally. This could leave the door open for the likes of Asus, Honor and others to get in there first.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
A global launch at MWC in March 2026 is the most likely bet, meaning many months of clock-watching, so other Elite 2 devices are sure to hit shelves in those markets and the US before that.
Qualcomm’s Chief Financial Officer, Akash Palkhiwala, said the company is “already working with several OEMs” with “tremendous interest in it”.
This comes as no surprise since the 8 Elite reportedly has 124 smartphone designs shipped or announced using it.
A new ‘flagship killer’ as well
In other Qualcomm news, it’s rumoured that another Snapdragon 8 chipset is on the way and could offer flagship-level performance at cheaper prices.
According to leaker Digital Chat Station (DCS), the SM8845 could be a very interesting chip indeed, offering a step up from the original 8 Elite, yet remaining more affordable than the 8 Elite 2.
It’s said to be manufactured on the same 3nm TSMC process as those chips and even includes some of the same parts as the Elite 2.
This can be filed in the ‘flagship killer’ folder and could make for the most powerful mid-range phones ever seen, potentially outpacing the likes of the Pixel 10 series. DCS says that phones powered by it are confirmed for Oppo, Honor and Vivo. Some devices could even feature batteries as huge as 8000mAh.
One of the main things left to discover is what it will be called, with Snapdragon 8s Elite or Snapdragon 8 Plus the most likely at this stage.
Sources: Android Central | Weibo