Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series Roundup: Launch Date, Specifications and Expected Phones

Qualcomm is getting ready to introduce its next-generation flagship mobile chipsets, and this time, the company appears to have something different planned. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series is expected to include two variants, giving smartphone makers a standard flagship option and a more powerful Pro model. Both chips are tipped to bring major changes, including a new 2nm manufacturing process and updated Oryon CPU cores. The Pro version could also offer faster memory and more powerful graphics. Here is everything we know so far about Qualcomm's upcoming flagship smartphone processors.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series: Launch Date and What to Expect

Qualcomm will host its Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Maui, Hawaii, from September 22 to September 24. The annual event is where the company is expected to provide more details about its next flagship mobile platform. Qualcomm has so far teased the arrival of two new Snapdragon 8 Elite chips but has not disclosed their final specifications or commercial names.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series: Two Chips, Two Tiers

The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 could power regular flagship phones, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is likely to sit higher up the range with more powerful hardware. The two chips are tipped to carry the SM8950 and SM8975 model numbers, respectively. The Pro variant could also gain advantages in graphics and memory, giving manufacturers more scope to differentiate their highest-end phones.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series Performance: What to Expect

Manufacturing Process

Both Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 variants are tipped to use TSMC's 2nm process, which would mark a move to a smaller manufacturing node from the 3nm process used for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The new process could improve power efficiency while giving the chipsets more room for higher performance. Qualcomm is yet to confirm the manufacturing technology.

CPU

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro are expected to use Qualcomm's next-generation Oryon CPU architecture. Both could feature a 2+3+3 core arrangement, with two prime cores, three performance cores and three efficiency cores. The Pro variant is reportedly being tested at clock speeds approaching 5GHz, although the final speeds could be different.

GPU

The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is tipped to feature an Adreno 845 GPU with 12MB of graphics memory, while the Pro model could get an Adreno 850 GPU with 18MB. The Pro version is also expected to support newer AI-assisted graphics features, including frame generation and upscaling, although these capabilities remain unconfirmed.

RAM and Storage

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could support newer LPDDR6 memory, while the standard variant is expected to support LPDDR5X RAM. Reports also suggest that the Pro model could support both LPDDR6 and LPDDR5X. Both chipsets are tipped to support UFS 5.0 storage, which could bring faster data transfer speeds to compatible flagship smartphones.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series Phones: What We Know

Phones using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series could start arriving soon after Qualcomm's September event. Xiaomi is tipped to be among the first brands to adopt the platform, with the Xiaomi 18 and Xiaomi 18 Pro expected to use the standard chip. Higher-end Xiaomi 18 series models could instead feature the Pro version.

Samsung could also bring the purported Snapdragon chips to its Galaxy S27 lineup. The Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra are expected to use the Pro variant, while the S27 and S27+ could switch between Snapdragon and Exynos 2700 chips based on the market.

The OnePlus 16 is also tipped to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. iQOO and Oppo are reportedly preparing flagship phones based on the new series too, although their specific chipset choices have not surfaced yet.

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