Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Launches Globally: The “AI for All” Chipset Debuts with OnePlus 15R

By Santosh Sinha | Tech & Telecom Desk Date: November 29, 2025

New Delhi: The gap between “Ultra-Premium” and “Flagship” just got a lot smaller. In a move set to redefine the performance landscape for sub-₹50,000 smartphones, Qualcomm has officially launched the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform globally.

Distinct from the ultra-expensive “Elite” edition launched earlier this year, the standard Gen 5 is being positioned as the democratizer of On-Device AI. The chipset has seen immediate adoption by Indian-favourite OEMs, with OnePlus confirming that its upcoming OnePlus 15R will be the first smartphone globally to carry the new silicon.

The “Gen 5” Philosophy: Affordable Intelligence

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is designed to solve a specific problem in the market: access to Agentic AI. Until now, true on-device AI capabilities—like real-time translation and generative photo editing—were reserved for the most expensive devices ($800+).

The Gen 5 changes that math.

• Oryon CPU: It features the same custom Oryon CPU architecture as the Elite version but optimized for efficiency, clocking in at 3.8 GHz.
• The AI Engine: The highlight is the upgraded Hexagon NPU, which delivers 46% faster AI performance than the previous Gen 3. This allows mid-range flagships to run complex “Small Language Models” (SLMs) locally, without needing the cloud.

“We are bringing the ‘brain’ of the ultra-premium tier to a wider audience. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 isn’t just about speed; it’s about making your phone an intelligent agent that anticipates your needs,” said Chris Patrick, SVP of Mobile Handsets at Qualcomm.

OnePlus & iQOO Lead the Charge

The Indian market is the primary battleground for this new chip.

OnePlus has moved fastest, confirming that the OnePlus 15R (launching in India on December 17) will be the global debut vehicle for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. This aligns with OnePlus’s strategy of offering “flagship-grade” performance in its R-series at a more accessible price point.

iQOO is also in the mix. While its top-tier iQOO 15 runs the Elite chip, industry sources confirm that an upcoming “Neo” or “Pro” variant will utilize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 to target the gaming community, leveraging the chip’s Adreno 840 GPU which offers an 11% boost in graphics rendering.

Why This Matters for 2026

For the Indian consumer, the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 signals the end of the “compromise flagship.” In 2026, a ₹45,000 smartphone will likely possess the same AI capabilities as a ₹1 Lakh device from 2024.

With brands like Motorola and Vivo also slated to release devices on this platform in Q1 2026, the “AI Smartphone” is officially going mainstream.