Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 Targets 11,000+ Geekbench Score, Could Power Galaxy S26 Ultra

Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, internally codenamed SM8850, is shaping up to be a powerhouse. Early Geekbench performance targets suggest a massive leap in CPU and GPU capabilities for the new chip, expected to debut in late 2025. It should power the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra next year, though the company may use its in-house Exynos 2600 in other S26 models.

Snapdragon 8 Elite 2’s second-gen Oryon CPU may deliver desktop-class performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 will be built around Qualcomm’s second-generation custom Oryon CPU cores, which were originally developed for the company’s X series desktop processors. According to leaked benchmarks, the chip targets Geekbench 6 scores of over 4,000 in single-core and 11,000 in multi-core. If Qualcomm achieves these numbers, it would mark a significant jump from the current-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750).

The current model itself is quite a powerhouse, averaging around 3,100 in single-core Geekbench tests and 9,800 in multi-core tests. It packs two prime cores operating at a maximum frequency of 4.47GHz. Those are supported by six mid-cores running at up to 3.53GHz. Qualcomm may have further sped up the CPUs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. This kind of performance uplift suggests the company is not just refining its Oryon architecture, but aggressively optimizing power delivery and core efficiency.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 should excel on the graphics front, too. Tipsters suggest the Adreno 840 GPU will deliver unmatched performance, setting the stage for console-level gaming on mobile. While specifics haven’t been revealed, Qualcomm’s next-gen GPU is rumored to support higher sustained performance, enhanced ray tracing, and better AI-driven rendering. Adding to the graphical firepower, the chip will come with a 16MB GMEM (Graphics Memory) cache to reduce latency and power draw in complex rendering scenarios.

Samsung should use the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 (3nm) in its Galaxy S26 Ultra next year. The company is also preparing its 2nm Exynos 2600, aiming to debut it with the 2026 flagships. However, the Exynos chip may only power the base models, not the Ultra. Stick around for more information about these upcoming processors from Qualcomm and Samsung.