Qualcomm’s Next Snapdragon Flagship Chips Could Have Even More Confusing Names

Qualcomm appears to be preparing a new naming scheme for its next-generation flagship smartphone processors. According to a new leak, the company may use the “Extreme” branding names for its most powerful Snapdragon flagship chips, making the lineup even harder to understand.

The leaked names suggest Qualcomm could launch two flagship platforms under the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 family. The standard model may be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, while the higher-end version could be named the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

Qualcomm’s Next Snapdragon Flagship Chips Could Have Even More Confusing Names

For several months, leaks have suggested that Qualcomm’s more powerful chip could be called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. However, a new leak from Digital Chat Station claims Qualcomm has chosen a different name.

The higher-end SM8975 platform is now reportedly known as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The standard SM8950 chip is expected to use the simpler Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 name.

The change would bring Qualcomm’s smartphone branding closer to its laptop processor lineup, where the company already uses the Elite Extreme name for its Snapdragon X2 processors.

Qualcomm has not officially confirmed these names yet, so they should still be treated as leaked information.

Two Different Flagship Chips

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 are expected to be based on TSMC’s 2nm N2P process. If accurate, this would make them Qualcomm’s first smartphone platforms built using the new manufacturing technology.

The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is rumored to feature a 2+3+3 Oryon CPU configuration. It could also include an Adreno 845 GPU, 12MB of GMEM, and support for LPDDR5X memory.

The Extreme version is expected to offer more powerful hardware. It could feature an Adreno 850 GPU, 18MB of GMEM, and dedicated AI accelerators within the GPU. It is also rumored to support the newer LPDDR6 memory standard.

Qualcomm Is Keeping the Details Quiet

The leaked branding is not the only thing that has surfaced ahead of the official announcement. Engineering samples of the SM8975 have reportedly appeared online, suggesting that Qualcomm is already testing the next flagship platform.

However, specifications and branding can still change before launch. Qualcomm has not officially confirmed the chip names, specifications or final product lineup.

Expected Launch in September

The new Snapdragon flagship platforms will debut at the Snapdragon Summit, scheduled for September 22 to 24 in Maui.

If the latest leak is accurate, Qualcomm could soon have a lineup consisting of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. While the Extreme branding may help distinguish the top model, the combination of “8,” “Elite,” “Extreme,” and “Gen 6” certainly makes the naming system more complicated.

For smartphone buyers, the actual performance difference between the two chips will likely matter more than their names. We should learn more once Qualcomm officially unveils the next-generation Snapdragon platforms.