Qualcomm just dropped the non-Elite version of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, delivering flagship features at slower clock speeds to power more affordable premium phones. The chip promises 36% better CPU performance than 2023's 8 Gen 3, but runs significantly slower than its Elite sibling, creating a clear performance tier for manufacturers targeting price-conscious flagship buyers.
Qualcomm is making its play for the sweet spot between flagship performance and mainstream pricing. The company just unveiled its regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset - the non-Elite version that was teased back in November when the premium 8 Elite Gen 5 launched. This isn't about cutting corners, it's about creating breathing room for manufacturers who want flagship features without the premium price tag.
The performance story tells the whole strategy. While Qualcomm is comparing the 8 Gen 5 to 2023's 8 Gen 3 - boasting 36% better CPU performance and 11% GPU gains - the more revealing comparison is against its Elite sibling. The regular Gen 5's six performance cores max out at 3.32GHz, with prime cores hitting 3.8GHz. That's noticeably slower than the Elite's 3.62GHz and 4.6GHz respectively, according to The Verge's technical breakdown.
But here's what's interesting - on paper, this puts the regular 8 Gen 5 behind even last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite. It's a deliberate step backward in raw performance to create market segmentation, though real-world smartphone performance will depend on how manufacturers optimize around these limitations.
The trimming extends beyond just clock speeds. The X80 modem delivers slightly slower peak 5G speeds, though Qualcomm maintains that Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, satellite, and ultra wideband support remain intact. The Adreno GPU and Hexagon AI NPU also get downgraded specs, though the company hasn't detailed exactly how much performance users will lose. Storage takes a hit too - no UFS 4.1 support, which could impact app loading and file transfer speeds.
What Qualcomm kept identical across both chipsets reveals their real strategy. Charging capabilities, display support, and most camera hardware options remain unchanged between Elite and regular versions. This suggests the company wants to preserve the premium user experience in areas consumers notice most, while quietly dialing back the computational horsepower that mainly shows up in benchmarks.
Manufacturer adoption is already rolling. Motorola, OnePlus, and have committed to launching phones with the 8 Gen 5 "in the coming weeks," according to . The timing strongly suggests we'll see it debut in the , which confirmed for a December 17th US launch.
