People are already talking about the next big Snapdragon chip

By Andy Boxall Published December 13, 2024

We’ve barely been introduced to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and only a few phones with the chip have been released so far, but that hasn’t stopped chatter about a new version. Talk of a Snapdragon 8s Elite processor has been circulating for a short time, and now it has been linked to a new smartphone from Xiaomi that’s expected sometime in early 2025.

Qualcomm’s confusing nomenclature makes understanding the Snapdragon 8s Elite’s power and position in the range difficult. It will apparently not match or exceed the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s ability, and instead fit in between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, according to a well-known industry commentator on the Chinese social network Weibo. Android Central notes that this space is currently filled by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, indicating the speculation may not be accurate.

The chip is being referred to by the model number SM8735, and may have a different set of cores than the 8 Elite, according to post on X. Instead of Qualcomm’s own Oryon chip cores, it will return to using ARM cores. Perhaps the most interesting spec rumor is its ability to support 7,000mAh batteries with fast charging. Even phones with large battery cells like the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro haven’t featured a battery with a higher than 6,000mAh capacity.

Qualcomm’s possible Snapdragon 8s Elite is being linked with a phone from Xiaomi, and it may end up being the first device to launch with the chip in 2025. The same Weibo source claims the phone will have a small screen with a quad curve — like the recent Vivo X200 series — and a modest 1.5K resolution, plus a dual-selfie camera and a rear camera system tuned by Leica. It’s possible the device may be a continuation of the Xiaomi Civi series, which has previously not been given a wide global release.

There are some approximate dates circulating on when the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Elite may launch, mostly around March or April 2025. This may also mean the mystery Xioami phone could get a release around this time as well. The Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro was released in mid-March 2024, so the timing would align.