Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 Leak Reveals Huge Performance Gains — But It Might Come at a Cost

The next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm has just surfaced in a new leak, and it looks like a serious upgrade over last year’s flagship processor. If the leaked performance scores hold true, Android flagship phones in 2025 could see major speed and efficiency improvements. However, with potential price increases on the horizon, the news isn’t all sunshine for manufacturers—or consumers.

The leak reveals that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will bring significant boosts in both CPU and GPU performance compared to its predecessor, which powered many of 2024’s top-tier Android smartphones. The chip reportedly retains a 3nm manufacturing process—most likely from TSMC—even as the foundry’s more advanced 2nm node begins to show usable yields. Qualcomm seems to be prioritizing stable production for now.

Here’s a breakdown of the leaked performance benchmarks compared to the previous generation:

• Single-core performance score: 4,000 (up from 3,200) — +25%
• Multi-core performance score: 13,000 (up from 10,300) — +20%
• Adreno 840 GPU clock speed: 1.35GHz (up from 1.1GHz with Adreno 830)

These increases suggest that Qualcomm is pushing both its CPU and GPU closer to Apple’s A-series performance territory, making it a strong contender for premium Android devices launching later this year and into 2025.

One standout improvement is the GPU upgrade. The new Adreno 840 is expected to deliver significantly better graphics performance with its higher clock speed, which should translate to smoother gaming, faster rendering, and more efficient graphics processing across the board.

Despite these technical gains, a looming price hike could be on the table. Earlier reports indicated that Qualcomm may raise the cost of its flagship chip, and with added tariffs—especially in the U.S.—that could drive up smartphone prices globally. While the use of a 3nm process may help control manufacturing costs, it’s unclear whether that will be enough to offset potential increases.

Samsung could feel the impact more than most. After struggling with yield issues on its Exynos chips, the company was forced to use Snapdragon 8 chips across its entire Galaxy S25 lineup. If the upcoming Exynos 2600 isn’t ready for mass production, Samsung may once again depend on Qualcomm for the Galaxy S26 series, which would raise their production costs even further—especially if the Elite Gen 2 chip is more expensive.

Despite those concerns, the performance jump should give phone makers plenty to brag about. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting mobile chipsets in recent memory, and its benchmarks already show promise for smoother performance, better efficiency, and superior gaming capabilities.

With Qualcomm expected to announce the chip later this year—likely during its annual Snapdragon Summit—flagship Android devices featuring the Elite Gen 2 could arrive as early as Q4 2024.