The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 application processor (AP) is poised to enhance the performance of flagship Android phones significantly. Qualcomm is preparing to unveil this next-generation chip in October, ready to power devices such as the Galaxy S26 series in various markets, including the U.S., China, and Canada.
According to a report from leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will utilize Qualcomm’s second-generation Oryon CPU cores. This advancement is expected to yield a 25% boost in performance over its predecessor, the original Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Additionally, the graphics processing unit (GPU) performance is projected to increase by 30%, thanks in part to an upgrade in the GPU’s independent cache, which will rise from 12MB to 16MB. The chipset will also support both LPDDR5X and the latest LPDDR6 RAM, the latter of which offers increased data transfer rates of up to 14.4 Gbps or potentially higher.
Manufactured by TSMC using its third-generation 3nm process node (N3P), the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset represents a balance between advanced performance and cost-effectiveness. While TSMC’s upcoming 2nm process node could enhance the chip’s capabilities further, Qualcomm has opted for the more economical 3nm process to avoid passing high costs to consumers.
Beyond the Galaxy S26 series, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is expected to feature in other premium devices, including the OnePlus 14 and Motorola’s flagship offerings for 2026. Early Geekbench benchmark results indicate strong improvements: a single-core score of 4,000, reflecting a 25% gain, and a multi-core score of 13,000, showing a 26.2% increase from the previous generation.
Overall, a performance hike of 25% to 30% seems to be in sight for this upcoming flagship AP.