Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro Reportedly Priced Higher, Tipster Claims

Primary development

A Weibo post by tipster Digital Chat Station claims Qualcomm's next-generation flagship chipset, codenamed SM8975, will be “extremely expensive” and marketed as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro. The post says the chip will be built on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 2nm process, the same as the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 variant in the lineup. If accurate, the pricing could influence the retail cost of devices expected to use the chip, including a rumored Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra set for release next year.

Specifications and market notes

The tipster's Weibo post adds that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro will support LPDDR6 RAM and include a “full-fledged GPU” and full cache. The post also notes that several upcoming mid-range smartphones could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 6, the standard variant, rather than the Pro model.

A rumor has been released that Qualcomm will release a Pro version of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 processor family in November 2025. This report mentions that the CPU will use an improved power system based on a new third-generation CPU architecture using a 2-3-3 core configuration and that the architecture will result in lower heat generation and improved power savings while being used for long periods of time. The claim remains unconfirmed at this stage.

According to the tipster, the Pro model will launch with support for LPDDR6 RAM. The standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 variant is said to offer LPDDR5x RAM. A more advanced GPU is expected for the Pro device while the standard model will have a less advanced GPU in order to saving costs for manufacturing.

In addition to chatters about the chipset, there are also rumors connecting this new Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro SoC to other devices of the same family like the rumored Redmi K100 Pro Max. Other than that Samsung is slated to launch their Galaxy S27 Ultra sometime next year with this new Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro chip at an expected higher retail price than previous flagships. People following these chips believe that all of the signals that retailers get from premium high end devices will be reflected in memory and storage market globally through inflation due in part to artificial intelligence being widely adopted driving the costs up.

Specifications (speculative)

• Process node: 2nm TSMC
• RAM support: Pro variant: LPDDR6 / Standard variant: LPDDR5x
• GPU: High-performance GPU with full cache support
• CPU architecture: 3rd Gen with 2 + 3 + 3 core configuration (as implied)
• Platform: Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 Pro (code-named SM8975)

Sources for these specifications include Digital Chat Station and other sources in the technology rumor mill; none are verified as accurate by Qualcomm, Samsung, or Redmi yet.

The market has seen demand reach new highs due to rising AI usage costs; this creates a tightening of memory and storage supplies. As a consequence, both manufacturers and analysts are monitoring how price levels of advanced chips could affect the pricing of products and the timing of their launches during 2025 and beyond.