Qualcomm to unveil dual Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chips at September Summit

Qualcomm has confirmed it will unveil two new flagship smartphone chipsets, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and a high-performance Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, at the Snapdragon Summit on September 22, 2026. The event, held in Maui, Hawaii, will focus on the next chapter of the “agentic AI era,” highlighting advancements in connectivity, graphics, and AI capabilities.

Reports suggest the Pro variant may utilize a 2nm manufacturing process from TSMC, potentially offering superior performance and efficiency compared to the standard model. Leaked AnTuTu benchmarks for the Pro version have already indicated high performance scores. This dual-chip strategy is viewed as a way to address a challenging smartphone market characterized by rising component costs and fluctuating demand.

Separately, market analysts from Counterpoint Research predict a shifting landscape for the global smartphone industry. Due to memory chip supply crises, global shipments are expected to decline by 14.3% in 2026. Samsung is projected to reclaim the top market position with an estimated 0.8% growth, leveraging its integrated supply chain to outperform Apple. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo face significant shipment pressures in price-sensitive segments.