Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6: 2 nm, LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0 for on-device AI

New details have emerged about Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Rumored to be built on a 2 nm process and to support LPDDR6 memory alongside UFS 5.0 storage, the platform is shaping up to boost both performance and power efficiency—two pillars that matter most for the next wave of AI-centric features.

Thanks to these memory and storage upgrades, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is expected to be better equipped for AI workloads. LPDDR6 would deliver even higher bandwidth, while UFS 5.0 promises faster data access and write speeds, helping devices power through demanding computations with less friction. Taken together, the focus looks squarely on smoother on-device AI experiences.

According to insider Digital Chat Station, Qualcomm plans to manufacture the chip on TSMC’s 2 nm N2P process. This node could increase performance by roughly 18% or cut power consumption by about 36% compared with the 3 nm generation. At the same time, part of the expert community believes Qualcomm may not be able to adopt the new node before 2026, a timeline that would fit the industry’s measured pace of transition.

Analysts also expect that moving to a more advanced process and embracing cutting-edge memory standards will raise production costs. If so, next-generation flagship smartphones could end up more expensive, with premium models feeling the impact first.

Expected by late 2026, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is positioned to become one of the key chips of the mobile AI era.