What You Need to Know
- Qualcomm may forego the conventional 2nm process, opting instead for TSMC’s cutting-edge N2P, which is expected to enhance performance and lower power consumption.
- The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 might incorporate LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage, promising greater efficiency.
- Increased production costs are anticipated to lead to higher prices for flagship smartphones.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has only recently hit the market, yet there are already rumors circulating about its successor.
Reports suggest that Qualcomm may bypass the standard 2nm process entirely, jumping straight to TSMC’s advanced N2P technology, which promises substantial performance enhancements alongside reduced power consumption; however, such technological strides may come at an elevated cost to consumers.
The upcoming chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6—codenamed SM8975—has garnered attention from reliable leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, indicating that Qualcomm is poised to leap directly to TSMC’s most sophisticated 2nm manufacturing process, N2P (as reported by Android Authority).
To provide some context, the existing Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which powers premium devices such as the Xiaomi 17 and OnePlus 15, is fabricated using a 3nm process.
By skipping over the initial N2 process altogether and moving directly to the refined N2P node, Qualcomm is charting an ambitious course.
The N2P technology signifies TSMC’s next-generation 2nm capabilities and showcases promising advancements. Relative to the N3E node utilized in the current 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite, N2P boasts up to 18% superior performance or a significant 36% reduction in power usage.
Moreover, it presents approximately 1.15 times the chip density of the existing 3nm N3E process, permitting a greater number of transistors within the same spatial confines. In essence, this technological evolution could fundamentally alter the capabilities of Android flagships for the years to come.
A Full Platform Overhaul
Qualcomm has plans to integrate support for LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage within the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. These enhancements are anticipated to deliver quicker and more efficient smartphones.
The upgraded memory and storage standards are also tailored to accommodate AI-intensive tasks, which should prove beneficial in the increasingly machine-learning-focused realm of Android software and camera systems.
However, there’s a caveat. The cost associated with this state-of-the-art technology is projected to rise significantly.
Reports indicate that the expense of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chip itself is likely to increase dramatically, and manufacturers will likely pass these costs onto consumers.
Consequently, while the forthcoming generation of elite smartphones is set to exhibit remarkable power and capabilities, consumers may find themselves confronted with notably higher price tags.
Source link: Androidcentral.com.
