The Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit is currently underway, and the highlight of the opening keynote was the announcement of the Snapdragon 8 Elite – the next flagship chip for premium Android smartphones in 2025.
Surprisingly, instead of the expected Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, deviating from its previous naming convention. This new name aims to emphasize the significant upgrade that this chip offers over its predecessors and aligns with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite laptop chipsets.
However, for the average consumer who may not follow tech news closely, the names of these processors like Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek Dimensity, or Apple A18 may not hold much significance. What truly matters to most users is the performance and functionality of their smartphones, rather than the specific chip inside.
What’s in a name?
While the move to rename the Snapdragon 8 series to Snapdragon 8 Elite reflects its enhanced performance, one may question the necessity of such a rebrand. Most users are unlikely to know the exact chip model in their devices, focusing instead on functionality.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite boasts six performance cores and two prime cores, offering a significant boost in CPU performance and efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Qualcomm’s decision to rebrand its flagship chip may cater more to marketing strategies than consumer awareness, as the average user may not be aware of these nuances in chip names.
This isn’t Qualcomm’s first rebranding rodeo
Qualcomm has a history of rebranding its chip lineups, with previous changes in nomenclature. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is just the latest in a series of rebranding efforts by Qualcomm.
While the name change to Snapdragon 8 Elite may simplify things to some extent, the essence of the chip – speed and efficiency – is what truly matters to the end-user. Regardless of the name, as long as the chip delivers on performance, users are likely to be satisfied.
