A detailed set of leaked documents has given us a clearer picture than usual this early on of the chip known internally as SM8975. It’s expected to launch as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, and on paper it looks like one of Qualcomm’s bigger architectural jumps in a while.
The biggest manufacturing-process update is that it’s moving to TSMC’s enhanced 2 nm-class N2P node, Qualcomm’s first flagship to go beyond 3 nm. Interestingly, the die is still larger than the previous generation (roughly 134 mm² versus 126.2 mm²), even though the process is denser. That usually means they’ve packed in more features and complexity.
The CPU sticks with Qualcomm’s custom Oryon cores in a 2+3+3 setup: two prime cores, three performance cores, and three efficiency cores. Exact clock speeds still aren’t out. On the graphics side, the Pro version gets the Adreno 850 GPU with 18 MB of GMEM (up from the Adreno 840).
It also includes two dedicated Matrix ALU blocks that enable a new feature called AI Frame Fusion. This can do both super-resolution upscaling and AI-generated frames to make games look smoother while using less power. Those Matrix ALUs and AI Frame Fusion appear to be Pro-only. The regular SM8950 is expected to use a scaled-down Adreno 845 with 12 MB of GMEM and skip the new AI blocks.
Cache has been bumped up too, with a shared 16 MB L2 cache plus 8 MB of system-level cache. The Pro model will support both LPDDR5X and the newer LPDDR6, while the base version is limited to LPDDR5X.
The Pro version is expected to cost more to make, so it might be reserved for a smaller group of ultra-premium phones. Qualcomm is set to officially reveal the platform at its Snapdragon Summit in Maui from September 22-24, 2026.
The September summit should fill in the remaining gaps. For now, it looks like a solid step up for the high-end Android phones that will use it.
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(Source: Notebookcheck)
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