Qualcomm’s New Chip Means You Don’t Need a Flagship Phone for Cutting-Edge AI Tools

Qualcomm revealed its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip in September to power the absolute top-tier Android phones coming out in 2026. The $900 OnePlus 15 launched this month and is the first phone available with the new chip in the US. Now, the company is offering a new chip — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 — for handsets that need slightly less digital horsepower for lower cost, leading to cheaper but still powerful phones.

Qualcomm typically offers multiple versions of its chips at varying performance levels…