Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, marking the latest advance in flagship mobile processors for Android smartphones. As the successor to the 8 Elite, this chip is set to power upcoming high-end devices from brands such as Xiaomi, Samsung, and OnePlus. The Xiaomi 17 series is the first confirmed phone line to use this new chipset, with others expected to follow. Qualcomm’s announcement brings a focus on camera improvements, AI advancements, and gains in efficiency and connectivity. The chip’s launch signals a continued push from Android manufacturers to compete directly with Apple’s iPhone, particularly in video and computational photography.
At the heart of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 are several standout features. The chip supports the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, a first for mobile processors, allowing “near-lossless” video capture and greater post-production flexibility. Qualcomm also highlights its collaboration with Arcsoft and Dragon Fusion technology, which promises to treat “every video frame as a photo.” This “fully computational” video pipeline could reshape mobile videography if widely adopted by phone makers, though previous collaborative features have sometimes seen limited uptake.
Improvements extend beyond video. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 boasts a peak CPU speed of 4.6GHz, with rumours of an even faster version for Galaxy devices. Qualcomm says users can expect “20 per cent better performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, although it’s unclear if this applies to single- or multi-core workloads.” The processor retains a 2+6 core layout and introduces hardware-based AI acceleration, with further support for “hardware matrix acceleration.” According to Qualcomm, overall processor efficiency has improved, up to 16 per cent better power savings and a 35 per cent increase in CPU efficiency, potentially translating into longer battery life.
A key element of the new chip is its camera and video processing pipeline. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 supports up to 48-megapixel triple cameras, 108-megapixel single sensors, and advanced video formats like 4K/120fps. The main change is the addition of the APV codec, which Qualcomm says “lets you capture ‘near-lossless’ video quality while letting you make adjustments in post-production, such as highlights/shadow tweaks and ‘precise’ colour grading.” Samsung described this codec as offering “perceptually lossless” video quality in 2023, aiming to provide professionals and enthusiasts greater creative control.
Additional camera enhancements include a 20-bit triple ISP and Dragon Fusion computational imaging, co-developed with Arcsoft. This technology enables “advanced AI tone mapping” and is described by Qualcomm as “fully computational,” treating each video frame as a high-quality photograph. By leveraging enhanced dynamic range, colour, and shadow detail, the chip aims to offer noticeable gains for mobile photography and video, though adoption by phone manufacturers remains to be seen.
For gaming, the chip supports “full Unreal Engine 5” compatibility with Nanite and Lumen, alongside mesh shading for improved graphics rendering efficiency. Qualcomm has not revealed improvements to ray tracing and stated, “the company told us we’ll have to wait for benchmark results.” These features are targeted at providing developers with more graphical headroom or reducing power consumption during demanding tasks.
Be the first to comment