Qualcomm Confirms September Launch for Snapdragon 8 Elite 2

There’s still some uncertainty over whether the next-gen Galaxy S26 series will stick with Qualcomm chips or go all-in on Samsung’s in-house Exynos. But thankfully, the cat’s out of the bag when it comes to the launch date for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipsets.

Qualcomm locks September 23 launch date for Snapdragon 8 Elite 2

Rumors have been flying that Qualcomm might launch the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset earlier than its predecessor. Traditionally, Qualcomm holds its Snapdragon Summit in October, but a tip from DCS back in April suggested the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could break cover by the end of September. We speculated that Qualcomm might host the Summit between September 22 and 25.

It turns out the rumors were right on the money. Qualcomm has officially locked in September 23 for the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, as Notebook Check reports. At the ongoing Computex 2025 expo, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon confirmed the dates for Snapdragon Summit 2025. It will take place from September 23 to 25 in Maui, Hawaii.

Some early benchmark results have already surfaced, hinting that a powerhouse is in the making. While we’re not expecting a night-and-day difference between the original Snapdragon 8 Elite and its successor, the performance gains are still promising. All eyes will be on this flagship chipset, and on whether Qualcomm has a few more tricks up its sleeve.

As for what’s next, there’s still a strong chance that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could end up powering the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung, for its part, is reportedly testing the Exynos 2600 aggressively. That opens the door for a familiar strategy, we might see the Galaxy S26 lineup ship with Exynos in some regions and Snapdragon in others.

Using an in-house chipset makes business sense for Samsung, it helps keep production costs in check and supports its internal chip division. So, what’s likely on the table is a split strategy: some regions (like the US and Korea) may get the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, while others, such as India, Europe, and more, might see the Exynos 2600 under the hood.