TL; DR
- Snapdragon 8s Elite or 8 Plus, is in the works – with Oryon cores and the latest 3nm process.
- Expect near-flagship performance in more affordable phones from OPPO, vivo, and HONOR later this year.
After the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 surprised many by skipping Qualcomm’s powerful Oryon cores, the actual “Elite” chip everyone expected might finally be on its way. Dubbed the Snapdragon 8s Elite or or 8 Plus (model number SM8845), this next-gen SoC is reportedly in testing, and it could be a game-changer for upper midrange and near-flagship Android phones.
Built on the Same Tech as the Best
Unlike the 8s Gen 4, which served as more of a high-midrange chip, the Snapdragon 8s Elite is rumored to offer performance on par with the full-fledged Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750). That’s because it’s expected to feature custom Oryon CPU cores, making it the first time Qualcomm brings such high-end architecture to this tier.
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More impressively, it’s reportedly being built on TSMC’s 3nm N3P process, the same advanced node powering Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship 8 Elite Gen 2 chip (SM8850). That means you’re getting not just better power, but also serious gains in efficiency and thermal management.
Qualcomm seems to be finally bridging the gap between its top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite series and the more affordable 8s line. This new chip could slot into the premium-but-not-ultra space, phones priced slightly below the ₹50,000+ range but delivering nearly flagship-level performance.
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OPPO, vivo, and HONOR Already Interested
According to sources, brands like OPPO, vivo, and HONOR are already lining up to use the chip in their upcoming phones. While there’s no confirmation yet on model names, these companies have a strong track record of embracing Qualcomm’s “value flagship” chips. Expect first wave devices to drop sometime later this year.
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