Qualcomm is scheduled to hold the 2025 Snapdragon Summit between Sept. 23 and Sept. 26 this year. The event is expected to see the arrival of the next-generation Snapdragon 8-series chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (tentative name). It is speculated that the Xiaomi 16 series will debut as the world’s first Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip phones by the end of September. Today, Qualcomm rolled out a press release to confirm that the Xiaomi 16 series will be the first to feature its next-generation Snapdragon 8-series chip
Next-generation Snapdragon 8-series chip to power Xiaomi 16 lineup
As per the press release, Xiaomi and Qualcomm have entered a multi-year agreement, which suggests that the Chinese brand will continue to feature Qualcomm chips in the coming years. Therefore, it is believed that the Xiaomi 16 and 16 Pro, which are expected to debut in September, will feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip.
According to reports, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip will arrive in a 6+2 CPU configuration. It is also being said that the new chip will bring a 30 percent improvement in GPU performance compared to the previous generation.
Xiaomi is all set to announce the Xring O1, a self-developed chip, in China tomorrow. The Xiaomi 15s Pro and Pad 7 Ultra tablet will be the first devices to feature it. It is speculated that the Xiaomi 16s Pro and 16 Ultra, arriving in the first half of 2026, will not have Snapdragon chips but will be powered by the Xring chip.
Apart from the Xiaomi 16 series, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is expected to power the likes of the Realme GT 8 Pro, OnePlus 15, Samsung Galaxy S26 series, Oppo Find X9 Ultra, and Vivo X300 Ultra. It will also power Nubia and Red Magic flagship phones that are expected to be launched by the end of this year.
