Snapdragon 8s Elite: A Potential Mid-Range Powerhouse for 2025 Flagships

The mobile market is seeing a surge in accessible flagship-level performance, thanks to Android manufacturers offering powerful devices at increasingly competitive prices. Qualcomm aims to further democratize high-end experiences with the upcoming Snapdragon 8s Elite chip.

Leaked Details and Potential Implementations

Rumoured to launch in March, the 8s Elite has been generating buzz. While initially linked to the POCO F7 series, prominent Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station suggests iQOO and Redmi might be the first to utilize this chip. Despite the “Elite” moniker, it’s crucial to note that this chip won’t feature the same Oryon core configuration as the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite.  

Early Benchmark Comparisons

Early benchmarks indicate the 8s Elite might deliver slightly lower performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Geekbench 6 scores for the 8s Elite hover around 1,967 (single-core) and 5,827 (multi-core), while the 8 Gen 3 achieves approximately 2,200 and 7,000, respectively.

Potential Specifications and Market Impact

Codenamed SM8735, the 8s Elite is reportedly still under development. Preliminary specifications suggest a CPU configuration of 1x Cortex-X4 at 3.21GHz, 3x Cortex-A720 at 3.01GHz, 2x Cortex-A720 at 2.80GHz, and 2x 2.02GHz cores (likely Cortex-A520 or a newer variant). The Snapdragon 8s Elite has the potential to shake up the mid-range market, offering flagship-level performance at more accessible price points. As more information regarding device implementations and pricing becomes available, a clearer picture of this chip’s impact on the mobile landscape will emerge.