What you need to know
- Qualcomm could allegedly skip the traditional 2nm process for TSMC’s advanced N2P, enhancing performance and reducing power consumption.
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 could support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage for improved efficiency.
- Higher production costs will likely result in increased flagship smartphone prices for consumers.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 just about launched, and we’re already hearing some chatter about the next chip. Rumor has it that TSMC could likely be skipping the traditional 2nm process for TSMC’s advanced N2P, promising an impressive performance boost and reduced power consumption—though this leap in technology could come at a steep price for consumers.
The chip in question is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, reportedly codenamed SM8975. Reliable leaker Digital Chat Station said on Weibo that Qualcomm is apparently skipping straight to TSMC’s most advanced 2nm manufacturing process, N2P (via Android Authority).
To put that in perspective, the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip — which powers top-tier phones like the Xiaomi 17 and OnePlus 15 — is built on a 3nm process. By jumping directly to the refined N2P node, Qualcomm is bypassing the first-gen N2 process entirely.
The N2P process represents TSMC’s second-generation 2nm technology, and it’s already looking impressive on paper. Compared to the N3E node (used for the 3nm-based Snapdragon 8 Elite), N2P promises up to 18% better performance or 36% lower power consumption.
It also packs around 1.15x the chip density of the current 3nm N3E process, allowing for more transistors in the same space. Simply put, this is the kind of tech shift that could redefine what Android flagships can do over the next few years.
A full platform overhaul
Qualcomm is also planning to add support for LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. These upgrades should make phones faster and more efficient.
The new memory and storage standards are also designed with AI-driven tasks in mind, so they may come in handy for the increasingly machine-learning-heavy world of Android software and camera systems.
Now for the bad news. This cutting-edge technology is expensive. DCS says the cost of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip itself is expected to increase greatly. That cost won’t be eaten by the manufacturers. It will be passed directly to you.
So, while the next generation of elite smartphones is poised to be incredibly powerful, those eye-watering prices are only going to get higher.