Come 2026, Qualcomm will shake up its plans for its flagship chipset. According to the rumors, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will launch with two different versions. This could lead to more differentiation between flagship phones.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 launching with different versions
According to a post on Weibo by Digital Chat Station, they claim that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will launch with two different versions. But first, the similarities. Both chips will be manufactured using TSMC’s 2nm process. The CPU architecture will consist of a 2+3+3 design.
However, the main difference is that one will be a “Pro” version. The difference is that the Pro model will feature different GPU specs while also supporting faster LPDDR6 RAM. Other than that, the rest of the specs should remain the same between both models. It’s an interesting approach by Qualcomm.
In the past, Qualcomm typically released one version of its flagship chipset, that is if you’re not counting the exclusive overclocked version Samsung uses. This approach means that phone makers will have more options when it comes to chipsets. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.
More options are a good thing?
In the Android scene, flagship phones tend to be powered by the same chipset. Some might go with MediaTek, but for the most part, they’re usually powered by Qualcomm. This means that the differentiating factor lies in other specs like the cameras, battery, display size, and software.
However, by introducing variances in its chipset, this could result in phone makers launching different phones powered by different chipsets. This has the potential to result in confusion, where those who aren’t in the know might assume they’re the same. It could also make it harder for consumers to choose.
But at the same time, if manufacturers do it properly, we could see flagship phones offered at lower prices. For non-gamers, having slower/older RAM and a lower-powered GPU might not be a bad thing. But then for those who need the power, they have the option to opt for the higher-specced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
Either way, nothing has been confirmed yet so take it with a grain of salt.
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