Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Details Leak as Tipster Reveals Anticipated Rivals to MediaTek's Flagship Chips

Qualcomm's next-generation flagship mobile processors could launch earlier than anticipated. According to a tipster, the US-based chipmaker is developing multiple Snapdragon 8-series processors based on both 2nm and 3nm manufacturing processes. They are tipped to be equipped with Qualcomm's next-generation Oryon CPU cores alongside updated Adreno GPUs and support for faster memory standards. The tipster also shed light on MediaTek's upcoming Dimensity 9600 Pro, claiming that it could rival Qualcomm's flagship silicon in GPU performance.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Series Specifications Tipped

According to a post by tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) on Weibo, Qualcomm is developing two flagship chipsets built on TSMC's 2nm process node. The first SoC is said to carry the model number SM8975. It is tentatively expected to launch as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro.

The chipset could feature Qualcomm's new 2+3+3 Oryon CPU architecture alongside 16MB of shared L2 cache. For graphics, it could be paired with an Adreno 850 GPU, with 18MB of GMEM (Graphics Memory). The processor is also said to support both LPDDR6 and LPDDR5X RAM. The tipster claims the SM8975 will primarily focus on delivering maximum flagship performance.

Meanwhile, the second 2nm processor carries the model number SM8950. The tipster said it is expected to arrive as the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. The SoC shares its Oryon CPU architecture and 16MB shared L2 cache with the Pro variant, while it may feature a slightly toned-down Adreno 845 GPU with 12MB GMEM. While the 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro targets ultra-premium phones, this chipset could prioritise a balance between performance and power efficiency while supporting LPDDR5X memory instead of LPDDR6.

The tipster also claimed that Qualcomm is preparing additional variants of its 3nm processors alongside the existing Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. These could include the SM8850Q, which could launch as a special Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5XX Edition. Another processor identified in the leak is the SM8845 Pro. It may debut under the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Pro or Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 branding.

DCS' claims build upon previous leaks, which suggested that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro would feature Qualcomm's second-generation custom Oryon CPU cores, an upgraded Adreno 850 GPU, and LPDDR6 memory support. Reports have also hinted at significant CPU and graphics improvements over the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Responding to a user's comment, DCS also revealed that MediaTek's upcoming 2nm SoC, ubiquitously known as the Dimensity 9600 Pro, could outperform Qualcomm's purported Gen 6 SoC, particularly in GPU workloads. However, details about this SoC have yet to be officially confirmed by the Taiwanese chipmaker.