According to a revelation from the blogger Digital Chat Station on November 8th， Qualcomm’s next-generation flagship chip， the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (hereinafter referred to as Snapdragon 8E6)， will be offered in two distinct versions. The standard edition will carry the model number SM8950， while the Pro edition will be designated as SM8975. Crucially， both versions will leverage TSMC’s advanced N2P (2nm) process technology.
The same blogger also disclosed that MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 will serve as the competitor to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8E6. In a departure from potential multi-version strategies， MediaTek is reportedly releasing only a single version of their chip， positioned to fall between the standard Snapdragon 8E6 and the Snapdragon 8E6 Pro， and will utilize Arm architecture.
A significant advancement compared to the previous generation Snapdragon 8E5 is the upgrade from TSMC’s 3nm process to the entirely new 2nm process for the Snapdragon 8E6 series. This marks a monumental step as it will be Qualcomm’s first mobile chip manufactured on a 2nm node， signaling the broader entry of the Android ecosystem into the 2nm era. This technological leap is expected to bring substantial improvements in performance and power efficiency.
Beyond the process node， the Snapdragon 8E6 series will see an adjustment in its CPU architecture， moving from a 2+6 configuration to a 2+3+3 design. Furthermore， the Pro version is slated to support LPDDR6 memory. Traditionally， the Snapdragon 8E6 series chips are anticipated to debut in September of next year， with the Xiaomi 18 series widely expected to be the first to adopt them.
Considering the recent surge in memory and flash storage prices， coupled with the added cost associated with adopting the cutting-edge 2nm fabrication process， it is highly probable that the Snapdragon 8E6 series flagship devices will usher in a new wave of price increases. This anticipated price hike reflects the increasing costs of advanced manufacturing and component sourcing in the premium smartphone market.
