Qualcomm’s next flagship smartphone chipset has reportedly appeared for sale in China before its official launch. Desoldered engineering samples of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro are being offered for around $42 per unit, giving enthusiasts an early look at the upcoming processor.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Engineering Samples Appear for $42 Before Official Launch

Qualcomm is expected to officially introduce the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro at its Snapdragon Summit next month. Until then, the leaked engineering samples are providing some interesting details about the chip.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Appears in China

A Shenzhen-based seller is reportedly offering the desoldered Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro engineering samples. The seller is also offering free shipping and says the price can be negotiated.

The samples were reportedly removed from test boards, which means they cannot simply be installed and used like a normal processor. Buyers would need specialized hardware and technical knowledge to work with the chips.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro carries the designation SM8975-100-BC. The leaked sample appears to be designed for use with LPDDR5X memory rather than LPDDR6.

Chip Markings Reveal More Details

Images of the samples show lot codes including FC5528M5 and FX602R8T. These markings can provide information about the chip’s manufacturing and packaging process.

The markings reportedly suggest that the samples were manufactured by TSMC. However, these details come from engineering hardware and may not represent the final retail version of the chipset.

The engineering samples are believed to have reached Qualcomm’s partners as early as February 3. This suggests that partners have had access to the silicon for several months ahead of the official announcement.

Possible New Cooling Design

One of the most interesting details in the leaked images is the apparent cooling solution attached to the chip.

The design looks similar to Samsung’s Heat Pass Block (HPB) approach used with the Exynos 2600. HPB is designed to improve heat transfer away from the processor, which can help maintain performance during demanding workloads.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro has to support both LPDDR6 and LPDDR5X memory configurations. This could affect the physical layout of the package and leave less room for traditional heat-spreading solutions.

The leaked LPDDR5X version appears to use a different package configuration, potentially giving Qualcomm more flexibility when placing its thermal solution.

Final Design Could Be Different

It is important to remember that these are engineering samples. Qualcomm could still change the processor’s physical design, thermal solution, or other components before the final version reaches smartphones.

The $42 price also does not reflect the expected cost of the finished chipset. Previous estimates have suggested that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could be priced at more than $300 for device manufacturers.

For now, the leaked samples mainly provide an early look at Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship platform. More reliable information about its performance, specifications, pricing, and cooling system should emerge when Qualcomm officially unveils the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series at Snapdragon Summit next month.