This Snapdragon leak reveals why your next Ultra phone might be even pricier
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- Qualcomm is reportedly developing two 2 nm chips: the SM8975 (Pro) and the SM8950 (Standard).
- The SM8975 is expected to exclusively support LPDDR6 RAM and feature a full GPU/cache, but at a significantly higher cost.
- The extreme cost of new silicon and RAM may lead to even higher prices for “Ultra” flagship smartphones, and Android brands might have to stick to the standard chip to keep prices in check for their non‑Ultra flagships.
Leak Details
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series remains the SoC lineup of choice for several top‑tier Android flagships. Last year, Qualcomm branched out the 8 series into the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 — both based on TSMC’s 3 nm process.
Leaker Digital Chat Station has now shared more specifications for Qualcomm’s next‑generation flagship chips, suggesting a “Pro” variation could be added to the lineup.
According to the leaker, Qualcomm’s next‑generation flagship lineup will have two chips: the SM8975 and the SM8950. Both SoCs are said to use TSMC’s 2 nm process.
- The SM8975 is the only chip in the pair that supports LPDDR6, a “full‑fledged GPU,” and a full cache.
- It is described as “extremely expensive.”
- Some “mid‑range” models (likely Android flagships in a “Pro” avatar rather than an “Ultra” variant) may opt for the SM8950, and there’s a slight chance they could even switch to the SM8850 (current‑generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5).
SM8975 and SM8950 Specifications
In a previous leak, Digital Chat Station mentioned that the SoCs will sport a 2+3+3 configuration.
The SM8975 is said to be the “Pro” variation of Qualcomm’s flagship chip. Presumably, it could be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro if Qualcomm follows its current naming conventions (though the company sometimes deviates). The SM8950 could be the more familiarly‑named Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. So far, no leaks have confirmed a Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 (non‑Elite variant) – its existence remains uncertain.
Pricing Implications
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Being Even More Expensive Is Bad News
If the SM8975 indeed turns out to be “extremely expensive,” it would push Ultra flagships to even higher price points than the current generation.
Ultra flagships have price elasticity because users who want the absolute best hardware are usually willing to pay more. However, that elasticity has limits; at some price point demand could shrink, making Ultra flagships impractical to produce and sell in economical quantities. The leak already suggests that non‑Ultra flagships would stick to the SM8950, likely to keep prices in check.
Complicating the price situation is the SM8975’s LPDDR6 support. While this would generally be great news, the ongoing RAM crisis has made LPDDR6 RAM even more expensive than ever before. If an Ultra flagship adopts the SM8975, the Android brand will have to choose between:
- Using LPDDR6 (inflating the price), or
- Dropping down to LPDDR5/LPDDR5X to keep costs manageable (presuming the SoC retains support).
A combination of SM8975 with LPDDR6 would result in an absolutely inflated price tag for any Ultra flagship, which isn’t great news for Android fans.
We’ll have to wait many more months before Qualcomm reveals any official information about its next‑generation flagship SoCs. Fingers crossed for sane price tags and naming schemes, but expectations are modest.