A ton of attention is being focused on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, but only a modicum of it is being diverted to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. After a torrent of leaks surrounding Qualcomm’s top-end SoC, some fresh information has leaked involving the company’s other 2nm chipset, with details revealing that it’ll share a similarity with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. However, don’t count on this as positive news, because Android phone makers will still be forced to pay a hefty premium for the silicon.
Qualcomm to maintain the same package size for Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but the increased price will be due to the 2nm node
The truckload of leaks from Reptalica are spilling the beans on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, with the latest revelation discussing the package size of the standard version. Apparently, the non-Pro version is also expected to measure 126.2 mm², indicating that Qualcomm will try to keep costs down by possibly re-using the same die as before.
While the obvious benefit is lower production costs, it does mean the company cannot utilize the excess space for a bigger cache, larger GPU area and other perks. These differences will make the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro slightly superior, as the latter has been rumored to boast the biggest L2 cache for any Qualcomm chipset, minimizing latency and improving power efficiency.
Additionally, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is said to have a 50 percent increased bus width area for the GPU compared to its less powerful brother, which are all attributes of a chipset with more package space at its disposal. However, even though Qualcomm will try to reduce manufacturing costs for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 by using the same package size as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it may not be able to avoid a massive price hike, and it’s all thanks to TSMC’s 2nm technology.
What’s interesting about Reptalica’s post is that TSMC’s first-generation N2 node is mentioned, whereas countless rumors have claimed that Qualcomm will use the slightly better N2P process to gain an edge over Apple. Then again, N2 could be utilized for the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 to further reduce wafer costs, but there’s no confirmation on this.
What we do know is that Qualcomm’s handset business is struggling due to the ongoing memory situation, so perhaps offering a competitive price for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 might be a decent start towards reviving its primary revenue generator.
News Source: Reptalica
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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