50%
Plausible
The industry’s first 2nm chipsets are launching later this year, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro rumored on multiple occasions to take advantage of TSMC’s next-generation lithography. As expected, this manufacturing process is costly, with phone makers likely adopting these solutions in their absolute top-tier offerings, and in the middle of a DRAM crisis, their margins will be drastically affected.
Fortunately, the latest rumor from a tipster states that Qualcomm will have plenty of options arriving this year for customers, allowing them to offer immense diversification of smartphone models in the fourth quarter without compromising their earnings. The Snapdragon brand is expected to expand immensely with this alleged decision, though it may get confusing for those who want to keep up with the different names.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is likely to be retained this year, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 being offered as a direct replacement for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
As the majority of readers know, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will likely be Qualcomm’s ‘top of the line’ silicon, where manufacturers will pair the SoC with LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage to offer customers an expensive, but incredibly powerful smartphone configuration. According to Weibo’s Digital Chat Station, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will ship with a new GPU technology and cache.
Next up, we have the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, which was previously rumored to be found in the majority of new flagships because of its lower price compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. For smartphone manufacturers wanting to offer a small price to consumers while also providing them with premium features such as LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage will opt for this configuration.
An interesting bit shared by the tipster is that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will be retained as an option for Qualcomm’s phone partners. It’s possible that with the release of the 2nm chipsets, this 3nm SoC is offered at a lower price than its $280 figure, allowing companies to introduce significantly more powerful devices but at a lower price.
Lastly, we have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 6, which may also be called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Pro, depending on Qualcomm’s intentions. Carrying the designation number SM8845 Pro, it’s expected to offer a minor performance improvement over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 while sticking to the 3nm process.
As for why a multitude of options are rumored to be available, it’s all a direct reaction to the ongoing memory shortage, which has wreaked havoc on Qualcomm’s revenue. During its Q2 2026 earnings, the company’s handset chipset business saw a 13 percent decline compared to Q2 2025.
This is a warning that, in the wake of the DRAM and NAND flash shortage, Qualcomm needs to pivot to other segments while keeping its primary revenue generator afloat, which is the handset business. This is probably the first time that the firm will offer several high-end chipset options, assuming the rumor is true, so let us keep our fingers crossed for more details in the future.
News Source: Digital Chat Station
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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