Qualcomm reportedly developing another high-end chipset, may offer Snapdragon 8 Elite-level performance

Qualcomm might be cooking up a surprise that could shake up the flagship smartphone market. A new high-end chipset, reportedly dubbed Snapdragon 8 Plus, is said to be in development – and insiders claim it could deliver Snapdragon 8 Elite-level performance, but without the same price tag or power draw.

According to renowned tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the mysterious SM8845 chip will land somewhere between the current Snapdragon 8 Elite and the upcoming Snapdragon Elite 2, offering premium power with efficiency in mind. It’s expected to debut in 2026, giving Android OEMs another beastly option for their top-tier phones.

Built using TSMC’s advanced 3nm N3P process, the upcoming chipset is also said to feature proprietary architecture with large CPU cores, and share select “peripherals” with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, which is rumoured to launch as early as September 2025.

If true, the Snapdragon 8 Plus could redefine the meaning of “Plus” – no longer just a minor refresh, but a serious flagship-class chip. Phones powered by it might also boast massive 8,000 mAh batteries, pushing the limits of all-day performance.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite, launched in October 2024, features Qualcomm’s second-gen Oryon CPU, a peak clock speed of 4.32 GHz, and a custom-built 64-bit architecture. Qualcomm boasted a 45% jump in CPU performance, 62% faster web browsing, and support for LPDDR5x RAM, UFS 4.0, and Nanite for console-grade mobile gaming.

Could the Snapdragon 8 Plus become the “hidden flagship” of 2026? If it delivers Elite-level power without the Elite 2’s price, it just might.