Qualcomm’s next flagship chip is starting to take shape as early leaks suggest the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 might be far less of a compromise than expected.
According to regular tipster Digital Chat Station, Qualcomm is preparing both a standard and Pro version of the chipset. But based on the latest details, the gap between the two may not be as wide as in previous generations.
The biggest takeaway is that the standard model is tipped to use a new-generation Oryon CPU, which could be shared with the Pro variant. That’s a notable shift. It hints that both chips will be built on the same core architecture. They will not split performance tiers as aggressively. The main difference, at least so far, comes down to cache, with the standard chip said to feature 6MB of system-level cache. Meanwhile, the Pro model is expected to push higher.
On the graphics side, things get more interesting. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is rumoured to pack an Adreno 845 GPU with a six-slice architecture, alongside 12MB of dedicated graphics cache. That’s a step up from earlier Elite chips, which used fewer slices. Consequently, it could translate to better scaling performance and efficiency. This will depend on workload.
This sliced GPU design, first introduced with the original Snapdragon 8 Elite, essentially splits the GPU into multiple sections. Each with its own clock speeds and processing resources. In theory, that allows for more flexible performance tuning. This helps especially in demanding tasks like gaming.
Earlier leaks have also pointed to a 2nm TSMC manufacturing process, along with updated support for next-gen RAM and storage. However, those higher-end specs may still be reserved for the Pro version. That model is also expected to carry more graphics memory, reportedly around 18MB, further widening the gap for power users.
Even so, the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is shaping up to be a serious flagship chip in its own right. If these leaks hold, it could offer most of the performance gains people actually care about. You may not need to stretch to the Pro tier to get the best phone.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
