[News] Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Reportedly Priced Above US$300 on TSMC 2nm, Risking Adoption

Qualcomm’s transition to TSMC’s 2nm process is expected to raise SoC costs, with next-generation chips potentially facing notable price increases. According to Wccftech, citing sources, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could reportedly exceed US$300, potentially limiting adoption mainly to “Ultra” flagship smartphones, as elevated pricing and ongoing RAM shortages are expected to weigh on broader market demand.

The report notes that combining LPDDR6 RAM, UFS 5.0 storage, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could push total bill of materials costs beyond US$600, significantly pressuring smartphone makers’ margins. As a result, the report suggests the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 could see wider adoption due to its expected lower pricing compared with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro.

At the same time, the report indicates that TSMC’s 2nm process is not the only factor behind the rumored US$300+ pricing of Qualcomm’s premium SoC. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is also said to feature major upgrades over the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, including a significantly faster GPU, record-level L2 cache, and a 50% wider bus width.

Qualcomm, MediaTek Face Rising 2nm SoC Costs

Qualcomm is also not the only chip designer expected to face rising SoC costs from the shift to more advanced process technology. According to another report from Wccftech, MediaTek could see similar pricing pressure, as sources say both companies have moved to TSMC’s 2nm “N2P” process, with next-generation SoCs expected to cost around 20% more than current models.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is reportedly broadening its 2026 flagship chip portfolio to four options, combining 2nm and 3nm chipsets to provide Android smartphone makers with greater flexibility amid rising memory costs. According to Android Headlines, the lineup is expected to include the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Gen 6 Pro on TSMC’s 2nm process, alongside a refreshed Gen 5 variant and a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 built on a more cost-effective 3nm node.

Read more

• [News] Qualcomm Reportedly to Supply Custom Chips to a Hyperscaler in December Quarter, Expands Data Center Push
• [News] Qualcomm CEO in Korea, May Tap Samsung’s 2nm for Snapdragon 8 Elite 2; Meets SK hynix for Memory

(Photo credit: Qualcomm)