- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources
60%
Plausible
Qualcomm switched up its chipset launch strategy this year with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 by launching a less powerful version called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 shortly after. The San Diego firm is rumored to retain this approach next year with two versions of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. The most powerful among the two will be recognized by the ‘Pro’ moniker, and according to the latest rumor, the majority of smartphone manufacturers will likely reserve this silicon for their ‘balls to the wall’ releases in 2026 because the price of the chipset is said to be substantially high. As for the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, it could make up the majority of flagship smartphone shipments next year.
Phone makers will also be comfortable in choosing the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 since DRAM price increases will leave them with few choices
While the exact price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro hasn’t been mentioned by Smart Chip Insider on Weibo, it will be Qualcomm’s first chipset to be mass produced on TSMC’s 2nm process, immediately warranting a price bump because each wafer on the next-generation lithography is estimated to cost $30,000. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was already an expensive component, with a previous rumor claiming that, depending on the customer, volume, and contractual agreements, the SoC would cost $280 apiece.
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro featuring a new Oryon CPU architecture, along with improved lithography, it shouldn’t be surprising that the SoC’s price is expected to exceed $300. Naturally, not everyone can adopt the ‘Pro’ version in their devices if it means paying a premium for just one component, leaving the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, which, according to the rumor, will not witness a significant price increase.
However, the SoC’s affordability also means that the chipset is rumored to lack LPDDR6 RAM support and a powerful GPU, and those are just the features that we know won’t be arriving with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Then again, we’ve seen that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 needs to consume an outrageous amount of power to outperform the A19 Pro, so using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will be practically useless for smartphone manufacturers if they cannot cool it effectively.
We also haven’t taken into account the ongoing memory crisis, which is estimated to raise a smartphone’s Bill of Materials by 25 percent, with companies contemplating bringing back 4GB RAM configurations for entry-level devices while slowing down the transition to 16GB RAM for premium models. All of these factors suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 could become the more popular choice than its more powerful sibling, but let us keep our fingers crossed and see what surprises await us in 2026.
News Source: Smart Chip Insider
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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