Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 Looks Strong In Surprising Benchmark Leak

A purported Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge prototype has appeared on Geekbench revealing very strong performance figures from the unreleased Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 chip. Set to launch next year, the phone's blistering scores (especially multi-core and underclocked, mind you) offer a glimpse into the Snapdragon's potential power, but also intensifies the friendly chip wars with Apple's upcoming A19 Pro.

According to the Geekbench listing, the chipset was running at a maximum clock speed of 4GHz, well below its rumored peak of 4.74GHz. This isn't all that surprising given that, like the S25 Edge, some throttling is required to aid thermal management in the slim chassis of the Galaxy S26 Edge. So imagine the Gen 2 chip running at full power: that would be great news for consumers who demand top-tier performance for gaming, AI applications, multitasking, etc.

Now, the real excitement comes from how the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 stacks up against its chief rival: Apple's upcoming A19 Pro chip. For years, Apple has held a commanding lead in single-core performance and we think Cupertino will still prevail. The A19 Pro is rumored to hit above 4,000 in single-core tests, a figure the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 may match or perhaps surpass when running at its full speed. However, the multi-core battle appears to be a win for Qualcomm. With a multi-core score of over 11,000, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 handily beats the A19 Pro's rumored 10,000.

Analysts speculate that Apple may be prioritizing power efficiency over raw power with the A19 Pro, a strategy to balance battery life and Apple Intelligence processing in its upcoming iPhones. Qualcomm, on the other hand, appears to be going all-in on performance, but all said, regardless of which end of the spectrum you choose, consumers will ultimately be the winners.