9 Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 phones to watch out for

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is looking like the Android flagship engine to beat, delivering big gains across CPU, GPU, and NPU performance in addition to a new APV codec that looks set to take mobile video capture up a notch.

With major brands poised to launch, here are nine phones that will probably carry the chip — and what the company has revealed so far about each.

Why the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip matters now

In Qualcomm’s briefings, the 8 Elite Gen 5 focuses on on-device AI, faster ray-traced graphics, and more efficient power draw — key pillars for the next wave of mobile experiences. Counterpoint Research has observed that flagship Android customers are becoming more interested in AI-supported photography, gaming smoothness, and battery performance — this silicon can aim for all three. The support of the APV codec should also assist OEMs in recording cleaner, higher dynamic range footage without increasing file sizes.

Xiaomi 17 series: 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max outlook

The Xiaomi 17 series uses the new 8 Elite Gen 5, which Xiaomi has officially confirmed. Anticipate three flagships in total: a value-first 17, a camera-focused 17 Pro, and a maximum-spec 17 Pro Max. The standout feature for some will be a secondary rear display on the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max — a nod to the Mi 11 Ultra’s method of providing wristwatch-style glimpses and rear-camera selfies.

The company is also teasing 100W universal fast charging from any USB PPS charger in select models, a real win to get rid of those pesky proprietary bricks. Combine this with innovation in portrait tuning and low-light algorithms, and if Xiaomi draws on that, the 17 series could represent a launchpad for the chip’s AI and imaging muscle.

iQOO 15 performance flagship and display details

iQOO, vivo’s performance-first sub-brand, is rumored to debut the 8 Elite Gen 5 inside the iQOO 15. Official teasers tout a 6.85-inch QHD+ OLED with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, peak brightness of up to 2,600 nits, and a color-shifting back panel that switches from gray to red accents based on your orientation.

Leaks suggest periscope telephoto tech with 100x digital zoom. If iQOO pairs that with the chip’s improved NPU for multi-frame fusion, it could be one of the more aggressive camera-and-gaming showcases.

OnePlus 15 rumors on display, camera and cooling

The name OnePlus 15 has been confirmed for China, and we’re simply seeing where the brand’s lineup would have landed based on its flagship cadence, which makes the 8 Elite Gen 5 an obvious candidate. Rumors are swirling of a 6.78-inch flat “1.5K” panel with a refresh rate upwards of 120Hz, and a periscope telephoto sensor around 50MP (approx.) at an equivalent of about 85mm f/2.8 — probably between 3.5x–3.7x optical range.

Expect OnePlus to take advantage of Qualcomm’s upgraded GPU for sustained frame rates and the NPU for smarter HDR compositing. With how dependent this SoC will be on thermal and power headroom, the brand’s history in building designs that can unlock consistent performance from silicon seems like it could also be quite important.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

One manufacturer we do know for certain has signed up to use the 8 Elite Gen 5: Samsung, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra looking like the top candidate in main markets. Samsung has historically employed a binning mechanism for special “for Galaxy” bins of Snapdragon chips that could translate into higher sustained clocks or tighter thermals.

Industry scuttlebutt suggests a Samsung Display M14 OLED panel and a renewed camera island. There’s also been talk of 5x telephoto (up from 3x) with the one leaked detail being an f/2.9 aperture, and quicker wired charging up to around 60W — and, naturally, as ever, there’ll likely still be regional Exynos versions across the wider S26 family based on trends observed by analysts and Korean outlets like The Elec.

realme GT8 Pro targets value with top-tier silicon

The realme GT8 Pro has teased a differentiating camera island, a 2K-class display, and even a 200MP periscope telephoto — an unusual spec that would heavily rely on the 8 Elite Gen 5’s ISP and NPU for de-noising and detail restoration. You can also count on it being a price-to-performance play, undercutting competition while packing top-tier silicon.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra and its computational imaging push

OPPO’s entry-level Find X9 and the more premium X9 Pro are both rumored to feature MediaTek silicon, but the Find X9 Ultra is the variant that may bring Qualcomm 8 Elite Gen 5 to life.

OPPO’s recent emphasis on computational photography — complemented, for example, by its partnerships with camera specialists and long-term image pipeline work — makes the Ultra a good testbed for the chip’s cutting-edge video capabilities such as APV.

vivo X300 Ultra leans on imaging and on-device AI

The X series from vivo tends to do this quite a bit: there’s life in the mainstream and then an Ultra that swings for the fences. The X300 Ultra is tipped to choose the 8 Elite Gen 5, with this further enhanced by vivo’s “mature” image stack and Zeiss optics. Expect on-device AI for portrait segmentation, video bokeh, and multi-frame night processing.

The wider Android flagship scene with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

From Xiaomi’s universal PPS fast charging to Samsung’s M14 displays, and then iQOO’s high-refresh QHD+ panels becoming available, the hardware is ready to bring out Qualcomm’s latest SoC. For buyers, the 8 Elite Gen 5’s value will probably manifest in more consistent gaming performance, cleaner low-light video through APV, and faster on-device AI for actions like live transcription or image edits — without shipping all that data off to the cloud.

With OEMs stretching software support windows and competing on camera and AI, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 gives these nine phones a shared performance floor. What will differentiate them is design, thermal tuning, lenses, and the way each company taps into the NPU for everyday features that feel faster, smarter, and genuinely useful.