- 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, Apple, and MediaTek will unveil their first 2nm chipsets later this year, marking the first time in history that the three companies will leverage TSMC’s cutting-edge lithography. For the San Diego firm, it is rumored that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will be a part of the company’s announcement, but there are whispers stating that, while the ‘Pro’ variant will offer some exclusive features, such as a faster GPU, LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 support, it will come at a price, literally.
However, a rumor claims that the increased expense hasn’t prompted Qualcomm’s partners to seek alternatives, as the top five Android phone makers will continue to incorporate the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. Then again, not every manufacturer has the means to pay this premium, as we discuss the latest claims below.
Some Android smartphone manufacturers are rumored to completely abandon Qualcomm and are expected to switch to MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 to lower the chipset expenditure
Based on the development status of the new models from the top five Android smartphone manufacturers in the world, Weibo user Repeater 002 says that the ‘top of the line’ flagships will continue to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. In fact, the tipster Smart Chip Insider has previously commented that Qualcomm is working on two chipset releases, with the top-end version only being found in the most premium of devices because of its high price, while the standard variant is expected to command the majority of shipments.
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 estimated to cost $280 per unit, we can safely assume that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will easily cost upwards of $300, making it extremely difficult for some Android phone makers to adopt it. If the memory crisis hadn’t forced a price hike of RAM and NAND flash by 70 percent and 100 percent, respectively, companies might have remained steadfast in using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in multiple smartphones, but that’s not the case.
The rumor also mentions that Android phone manufacturers outside the top five could completely abandon Qualcomm and switch to MediaTek, which is expected to announce its Dimensity 9600. Unlike its chipset competitor, MediaTek hasn’t decided on a dual-chipset launch strategy, but given that the Dimensity line has always been cheaper than rivals, we foresee a large shipment of these getting adopted, even if it means those handsets will be inferior to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in both raw performance and efficiency, as witnessed in an earlier comparison of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500.
News Source: Repeater 002
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.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
