Back to school 2025 could well mark a turning point in the race for mobile power. Qualcomm has just announced that its new Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 processor – engraved in 3 Nm, and capable of climbing up to 4.6 GHz – will be inaugurated by a certain Xiaomi 16. This model, expected for the end of September in China, will therefore be a gondola head for this new SOC of all the superlatives.
Xiaomi 16: First smartphone to embark the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, Monster of power at 4.6 GHz
Behind this very strategic partnership, a simple observation: Xiaomi wants to resume leadership on the high -end Android segment, without delay. To achieve this, the manufacturer aligns the arguments: massive battery (up to 7,000 mAh), fast load 100 W, 120 Hz AMOLED slab around 6.3 inch, and triple 50 MP photo sensor, including one accompanied by a zoom. The whole, visibly housed in a compact chassis, which could recall the ergonomics of the Xiaomi 13 or 14 basic.
On the performance side therefore, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 promises to be a cold monster. CPU ORYON BOOSTÉ, GPU Adreno 840 with 16 MB of dedicated cache, new architecture of AI… The whole would aim up to 30 % of single-core gains and energy efficiency revised upwards. Clearly: enough to prepare the field for Android 16, Ray Tracing games and solid autonomy.
The Xiaomi 16 should be launched in China between September 23 and 30, just after the Snapdragon Summit. A world exit is mentioned for early 2026, but could occur earlier in certain markets. One thing is certain: Xiaomi and Qualcomm advance hand in hand to (re) define what will be an Android premium flagship by the end of the year.
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