Qualcomm confirms 'Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5' and teases more naming changes

Ahead of its upcoming launch this month, Qualcomm has confirmed that its next flagship chip for Android will be called the “Snapdragon 8 Elie Gen 5,” and also offered a bit of insight into why it has that name.

In a post, Qualcomm reveals that its next chip will be called the “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5” as a successor to Snapdragon 8 Elite. That begs an obvious question, namely why is it “Gen 5” and not “Gen 2.”

Qualcomm explains:

It might look like we skipped generations, but the truth is simpler — and more powerful. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 marks the fifth generation of our premium 8-series platforms since we introduced our new single digit naming and visual identity. By aligning with Gen 5, we’re reinforcing its leadership position and simplifying how consumers understand our product roadmap.

Think of it like this: Gen 5 isn’t just a number. It’s a signal that this platform leads the family forward.

So, essentially, Qualcomm is jumping back on track to its prior naming structure after having stopped a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 prior to Elite’s arrival last year. The naming change last year, Qualcomm says, was to represent the “unprecedented performance gains” which the company felt deserved to be “a standalone platform.”

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But this “Gen 5” situation won’t be in place just on the flagship, as Qualcomm teases we’ll see it on other chips in its lineup.

So, from what it sounds like, other chipsets in Qualcomm’s lineup will also adopt a “Gen 5” badge this year, regardless of what they are currently on. Chipset names will never not be confusing, but it does seem like Qualcomm wants to clean up the various chip versions it has floating around the market today.

What do you think of this change?

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