Since we performance tested the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the GT 7 Pro smartphone, Realme insisted a fix was coming for what it described as a “software compatibility” issue, which was causing the phone to overheat before it could perform a 20 minute gaming benchmark test.

Today, a software update containing the fix was delivered to our review model, with the promise that it would fix the problem. Sure enough, after running the Solar Bay Stress Test – a 20-minute program that emulates gameplay with ray-traced graphics – in the 3DMark benchmark app, the Realme GT 7 Pro actually completed it successfully, we giving the performance numbers we were missing. during our initial comparison with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Always hot

However, the story does not end there. If Realme’s intention was to fix this so that the GT 7 Pro could perform a 3DMark stress test, then its mission is complete. I’ve done all the 20 minute stress tests available in the app, and it hasn’t failed so far. But what’s also clear is that the phone still gets very hot during the process, and even if it doesn’t give up at the last moment (it failed after about 17-19 of the test’s 20 total loops), I guess that’s fair. the edge of doing it. This also happens in an environment where the ambient temperature is quite low and in warmer climates the situation will likely be worse. It’s hot during all the tests, but it’s the Solar Bay stress test that puts the most strain on it.

Even at loop 11, I consider the GT 7 Pro too hot to hold comfortably, especially along the edges of the chassis, and this is with the performance-enhancing GT mode active. I definitely wouldn’t consider putting it against my cheeks to gauge the temperature. The heat generated is reflected in the benchmarking app, which shows a temperature increase from 27 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius during the Solar Bay stress test. For comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra reached 42 degrees Celsius in the same test, with the phone nowhere near as hot and still comfortable to hold.

There is further evidence that the test puts considerable strain on the phone, with the full Solar Bay stress test taking 15% of the Realme GT 7 Pro’s battery and 12% of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s. I reiterate that these extreme benchmarking tests do not reflect general usage and instead show how a phone and processor perform during extended gaming sessions, primarily when playing the latest graphically intensive games like GenshinImpact And Honkai: Star Rail. However, we run these tests on most of the phones we review, and it’s very rare that a phone fails to complete the test or gets as hot as the Realme GT 7 Pro.

What does this mean for the chip?

What does all this mean? It’s still difficult to say to what extent the fault lies with Realme, the phone and its software, or the Snapdragon 8 Elite for heat generation. But since Realme’s software update didn’t cure or noticeably reduce heat buildup, it merely completed the benchmark test, it’s increasingly likely that the Snapdragon 8 Elite, incredibly powerful, gets hotter than older chips under certain circumstances. We’ve reached out to Qualcomm for comment and will update as soon as we receive a response.

The Realme GT 7 Pro is the only smartphone we’ve tried with the Snapdragon 8 Elite inside, but more are expected soon, including the Asus ROG 9 Phone and the OnePlus 13. When these, and others, come into play, we’ll have a better idea of ​​what’s going on with the processor expected to power many of the best Android phones of 2025, or whether the recent Realme, otherwise very positive feedback stumbled.