Qualcomm could be preparing a new “Snapdragon 8 Plus” chip to shake up the premium mid-range segment in late 2025. According to recent reports, the chip—known internally as the SM8845—may serve as a more affordable alternative to the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, which is expected to power next year’s top-tier Android flagships.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is set to be Qualcomm’s showcase processor for 2025, likely launching in Q3. Built on TSMC’s 3nm process and featuring custom Oryon CPU cores, the chip is expected to deliver a major leap in performance and efficiency. Devices like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and other ultra-premium models will likely adopt it—though early signs suggest prices could climb even higher than the already expensive 8 Elite.
That’s where the new Snapdragon 8 Plus could come in. Expected to arrive sometime in Q4 2025, this chip is not a direct successor to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, but rather a new tier altogether. It’s rumored to share key features—such as the same GPU architecture—with the Elite 2, while being priced more competitively. The idea seems to be offering near-flagship performance (finally) without the ultra-flagship price tag, a move that could benefit so-called “flagship killer” smartphones. The tipster also suggests that phones powered by this chip could pack significantly larger batteries—possibly around 7,000mAh—compared to flagship models running on the Elite 2.
Qualcomm had earlier positioned the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 as a toned-down version of the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, with the arrival of the 8s Gen 4, that strategy shifted. Instead of offering a true alternative to the flagship chip, the 8s Gen 4 merely matched the performance of last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Now, Qualcomm seems to be repositioning things again, aiming to bridge the gap between the cost-effective “S” series and its full-fledged flagship lineup.
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