Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Pro: 2 nm shift, 2+3+3 CPU cluster, pricing outlook

A fresh leak from China sheds light on Qualcomm’s next generation of flagship processors. As earlier reports suggested, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will arrive in two versions: a standard model and a Pro. It has now surfaced that the base variant will indeed carry a less powerful GPU than the top-tier Elite Gen 6 Pro. Even so, the well-known insider Digital Chat Station is said to be confident the chip’s overall performance will still surprise skeptics — a signal that raw numbers may not tell the whole story.

The source stresses that both processors — Elite Gen 6 and Elite Gen 6 Pro — are slated to be manufactured on TSMC’s 2 nm process and will switch to a new 2+3+3 CPU cluster layout, moving away from today’s 2+6. It remains unclear whether Qualcomm will use the baseline N2 or the newer N2P node, though other insiders maintain that Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple have opted for N2 in the name of stability.

The differences won’t stop at graphics. The standard Elite Gen 6 is expected to forgo LPDDR6 support, while the Pro model will target ultra-flagship devices. That split points to a clearer product tiering, with Qualcomm drawing a sharper line between mainstream flagships and the no-compromise class.

Pricing appears central to Qualcomm’s strategy. Phones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 are rumored to start at 4,000 yuan (around $565), positioning the company to pressure MediaTek in the mid and upper segments. Meanwhile, the Pro version is expected to get pricier and likely exceed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, whose per-chip cost is estimated at $280. If these signals hold, the competitive squeeze could be felt across the sweet-spot price bands.

With nearly a year to go before the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 lineup debuts, all of this remains subject to change. Still, the direction looks clear: Qualcomm is preparing a significant architectural refresh and is poised to ramp up competitive pressure in 2026.