Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 may help your apps load a lot faster

Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is already the subject of major leaks. But new rumours now point towards support for next-generation LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage.

This isn’t just about chasing bigger numbers, though. Thanks to on-device AI operations, the demand for faster and more efficient memory and storage is now greater than ever.

LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0 are both onboard

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is expected to land in late 2026 and it will be Qualcomm’s first 2nm-based chipset. It serves as the follow-up to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which only just debuted in September on the 3nm process.

Leaker Digital Chat Station claims this chip will use TSMC’s advanced ‘N2P’ node. This is a more refined, second-generation version of the 2nm process. This is a big step up, considering Apple’s forthcoming A20 and A20 Pro chips are expected to use the first-generation N2 node.

ALSO READ: Qualcomm has an Apple-like chip strategy with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Let’s hit the brakes for a bit, though. It’s worth mentioning that another tipster, Fixed Focus Digital, has dismissed this entirely. They claim all the big players, including Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, will stick to the standard N2 process for their 2026 chips.

This makes sense. TSMC is only just starting full-scale 2nm production by the end of 2025, and Apple has apparently booked more than half of that initial supply.

N2P wafers would also be slightly more expensive than the reportedly $30,000 price for each N2 wafer. So, while the LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0 upgrades seem plausible, the N2P jump is a little less likely.

This new tech is also expected to drive up costs. So another likely outcome is that the powerhouse Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will be reserved for the most expensive “Ultra” models across brands, while standard flagships get a tamer Snapdragon 8 Gen 6.