If this rumored Snapdragon 8 Elite name change is true, we're going to be confused

What you need to know

• Rumors from a Chinese Weibo tipster state Qualcomm could swap its 2025 SoC name from the "Snapdragon 8 Elite 2" to the "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5."
• There's speculation that this change could have something to do with another chip Qualcomm has in store, but users on Weibo find it strange.
• Earlier rumors claim the chip could debut toward the end of September, and the SoC might even see a strong power boost.

Rumors say that Qualcomm's next flagship chip could arrive sooner, but another wave claims it could even boast a slightly different name.

These rumors have continued to surface from Chinese Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS), who claims Qualcomm's next Elite might not be the "Elite 2" (via WccfTech). The tipster alleges that the company could go from the Snapdragon 8 Elite to the "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5." This is a strange shift, if true, something that users on Weibo have started to joke about.

We've seen rumors about Qualcomm's next chip for a while, and the tipster states this name is for codename SM8850, which has been mentioned before for the 2nd generation Elite SoC.

The publication mentions that this odd name change could have something to do with Qualcomm's other chip in development, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It seems the company is still moving ahead with such a chip; however, its performance is expected to be under the Elite. While this could be a move to bring more "series cohesion," it's a little strange.

One user on Weibo said, "When everyone was guessing whether it would be called 8e2 or 8gen5, Qualcomm chose 8egen5." We'll have to see whether or not this is true, which is a reality we might see sooner rather than later.

Either way, it'll be 'Elite'

Rumors about the Elite 2 (or Elite Gen 5) have been appearing since the spring, back when posts suggested Qualcomm would drop it sooner. Speculation said the company could reveal its 2025 flagship chip toward the end of September, rather than early in October. If true, that would mean that companies would begin releasing their 2025 flagships with the chip in early/mid-October.

Those initial rumors add that Qualcomm could boost the chip with "enhanced Pegasus cores," clocking out at 5GHz.

Subsequent rumors chimed in about the chip's power after it allegedly went through an early performance test. The Elite 2 reportedly achieved a single-core score of 4,000 points and a multi-core score of ~11,000. While nothing's confirmed, those alleged numbers clear the original Elite, so this next wave of phones (and consumers) might be happy.