Flagship phones might start arriving sooner than expected – here’s why

There has been a lot of chatter lately that Qualcomm might launch its next big mobile chip – probably called the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 – ahead of schedule. Turns out, that is exactly what is happening.

Qualcomm just locked in the dates for its next Snapdragon Summit: September 23 to 25. And that is where the company usually shows off its top-of-the-line processor, so yeah, it’s official.



Leaks have already hinted that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is going to be a major step up. It’s expected to offer up to 25% better performance over its predecessor, while keeping the same 6 + 2 CPU setup.

The GPU is also getting a serious boost, with the new Adreno said to be up to 30% faster than before. These gains come courtesy of the latest Arm v9 instruction set, upgraded Nuvia CPU cores and TSMC’s advanced N3P manufacturing node.

What does all that mean in the real world? Basically, phones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 should feel faster, handle games better, be more responsive and maybe even last longer on a single charge thanks to improved efficiency.

Now, with this launch window, expect Chinese brands to move quickly. Flagships using this chip will likely hit the domestic market in late September or early October. Xiaomi is almost guaranteed to be first out of the gate – just like it usually is – with the Xiaomi 16 series already expected sooner than usual. OnePlus could also jump in early with the OnePlus 14.

Actually, this change could trigger a ripple effect across the industry, speeding up launch timelines for multiple Android flagships. And that might put Samsung in a bit of a weird spot. Its next-gen foldables – the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 – are rumored to launch in early July with the current Snapdragon 8 Elite. That is just a couple of months before the new chip comes out, which could make Samsung’s foldables feel outdated real fast.

To make things even messier, there is talk that Samsung might skip Qualcomm’s new chip. Word is, it could go all-in on its own Exynos 2600 for the Galaxy S26 lineup instead.

But at the same time, rumors say Samsung and Qualcomm are already in talks – and actually close to finalizing a deal – for Samsung to manufacture the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 for Galaxy. So, if that goes through, there’s a real chance some Galaxy phones in 2026 could still end up running on the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 rather than Exynos.

As you can see, as usual, Galaxy phones chipset rumors are a mess until the very last minute, so there’s still plenty of time for plans to shift. Either way, Qualcomm’s early move could shake up the whole flagship phone calendar this year – and possibly leave some big names scrambling to keep up.