A slump in its handset business as a result of the RAM crisis forced Qualcomm to incorporate various strategies for 2026, which is why the chipset manufacturer is said to launch the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 later this year, mimicking Apple’s approach of introducing two SoCs for different products. A rumor claims that Qualcomm’s efforts have paid off, with the standard SoC expected to be offered at a lower price, but that would mean MediaTek’s business would suffer.
With the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 offering custom cores and a better GPU, the Dimensity 9600’s cost advantage could erode this year
The only companies that have ordered the initial batches of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 are OPPO and Vivo, according to Weibo’s Digital Chat Station. What this rumor implies is that every other partner has placed their bets on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, which is said to be significantly more affordable than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and is expected to be adopted in more devices.
Also, thanks to Qualcomm’s efforts in custom CPU cores, the Oryon architecture will likely be superior to the Dimensity 9600’s ARM designs, giving the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 a major edge. Even if we assume that Qualcomm’s 2nm SoC wasn’t superior to the Dimensity 9600 in architectural upgrades, the rumor mentions that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will still have a cost advantage over its rival.
Seeing as how the more premium Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is estimated to fetch a price upwards of $300, the standard version could be slightly over $200, making it a more viable option for manufacturers who don’t intend to ship their latest and greatest smartphones in the future. Offering two 2nm chipsets isn’t the only trick Qualcomm has up its sleeve, as the latter has a stacked SoC family for its phone partners to choose from.
For instance, the current-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is rumored to receive a price cut this year, with Qualcomm also introducing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 successor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 6, on TSMC’s 3nm process in the future. Unfortunately, aside from having the Dimensity 9600 available to its smartphone partners, MediaTek doesn’t appear well-prepared for Qualcomm’s onslaught, which could be bad news for its handset business.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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