Qualcomm is preparing to enter the 2nm era later this year alongside Apple and MediaTek, marking the first time all three companies will introduce chipsets built on TSMC’s latest process. For Qualcomm, the launch is expected to include two models, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. Early reports suggest that the Pro variant will carry a higher price, but this does not appear to be affecting interest from major Android phone makers.
According to information shared by Weibo user Repeater 002, development plans from the world’s top five Android smartphone manufacturers still point toward the use of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in their premium flagships. Another tipster, Smart Chip Insider, has also claimed that Qualcomm is planning a dual-chip strategy, where the Pro model is reserved for high-end devices, while the standard version is expected to ship in larger volumes across a wider range of phones.
The higher cost of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is linked to several reported upgrades. These include a faster GPU, support for LPDDR6 memory, and compatibility with UFS 5.0 storage. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 already estimated at around $280 per unit, industry sources believe the Pro model could push past the $300 mark. This comes at a time when memory prices have also risen sharply, with RAM and NAND flash reportedly seeing increases of around 70 percent and 100 percent, respectively.
While leading brands appear willing to absorb these costs for their flagship models, smaller Android manufacturers may take a different route. The same rumor suggests that companies outside the top five could move away from Qualcomm and adopt MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9600 to reduce chipset expenses. MediaTek is not expected to follow a dual-launch approach, but its Dimensity processors have traditionally been priced lower than competing Snapdragon chips.
As a result, phones using the Dimensity 9600 could see wider adoption in cost-sensitive segments, even if they lag behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro in performance and efficiency. This pattern has already been observed in earlier comparisons between Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 devices. With 2nm chipsets nearing launch, the Android market appears set to split between premium models that prioritize performance and others that focus on cost control.
