Qualcomm Unveils Powerful New Snapdragon Chips for 2026 PCs and Phones
Qualcomm unveiled new Snapdragon chips at the Snapdragon Summit 2025, featuring an 18-core CPU, enhanced AI, and superior performance for 2026 PCs and phones.
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Overview
- Qualcomm introduced an 18-core chip for Windows PCs at the Snapdragon Summit 2025, setting the stage for advanced Windows-based machines expected in 2026.
- Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip delivers up to 75% faster performance than rivals at iso-power, and 50% faster multi-core performance over the previous generation.
- The new chips feature a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 80 trillion operations per second, 37% faster, handling AI inquiries at 220 tokens per second.
- The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip enhances AI and GPU performance, potentially outperforming the iPhone 17 Pro in gaming and powering 2026's most powerful phones.
- Qualcomm's new 3nm CPU promises to be one of the fastest, outperforming competitors like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H while requiring significantly less power for efficiency.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by adopting a highly opinionated and critical tone, particularly towards Qualcomm's marketing and naming strategies. They use informal, evaluative language and sarcasm to dismiss promotional claims, while simultaneously acknowledging the chip's technical advancements. The narrative often positions the new chip in direct competition with Apple, emphasizing Android's need to prove its capabilities beyond basic social media use.
"The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is pushing gaming and video harder than ever on Android devices."
Gizmodo"Qualcomm promises we’ll get new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme-powered PCs early in 2026."
Gizmodo"Qualcomm announced its first Snapdragon X Elite system-on-a-chip two years ago, which featured the debut of the in-house Oryon CPU that enabled high enough performance in PC laptops to compete in power efficiency with industry-leading silicon like Apple's M-series."
CNET"The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 improves performance over its predecessor with faster processing for AI agents, enabling personalized experiences for phone owners."
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FAQ
The new Snapdragon chips feature an 18-core CPU delivering up to 75% faster performance at iso-power compared to rivals, 50% faster multi-core performance over the previous generation, and a 37% faster neural processing unit capable of 80 trillion operations per second.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip showcased at the summit is expected to enhance GPU and AI performance sufficiently to potentially outperform the iPhone 17 Pro in gaming for 2026.
The chips include a neural processing unit that performs 80 trillion operations per second, which is 37% faster than before, handling AI tasks such as processing 220 tokens per second, enabling significant improvements in AI-driven functions.
Qualcomm’s new 3nm Snapdragon CPU is one of the fastest announced, outperforming competitors like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H while consuming significantly less power, leading to better efficiency for 2026 PCs and phones.
The new Snapdragon chips are designed for Windows-based PCs and flagship smartphones expected to release in 2026, powering advanced PCs and the most powerful phones for that year.
History
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