Qualcomm reportedly developing ‘Pro’ variant of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 for 2026

Following the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 late last year, new leaks point to Qualcomm introducing a more powerful tier in 2026. According to prominent Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS), the company is developing a “Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro” (model number SM8975). This chip is expected to be released alongside the standard Gen 6.

DCS suggests this “full-performance” Pro variant will likely be reserved for “high-end imaging flagships” and “Ultra” smartphones. As a result, these models will have a performance advantage over base models.

This strategy is similar to the past “For Galaxy” approach, where Samsung devices received exclusive, overclocked chips. However, it now indicates Qualcomm may offer this top performance tier to a broader array of manufacturers.

Beyond branding, the underlying technology is set to make a significant advancement. There are rumors that Qualcomm will produce the Gen 6 series using TSMC’s 2nm process (N2P).

This would enhance both performance and power efficiency. Previous reports also indicate that the new architecture will support next-generation LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage. As a result, this would allow for faster data speeds.

However, this performance growth may be a bit more expensive than its predecessors. Analysts warn that the shift to 2nm technology is costly, potentially leading to intense price hikes for 2026 flagship phones.

While these details remain hypothetical, the difference between “Standard” and “Pro” chips could define the next generation of Android power.