Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, Gen 6 Pro tipped for next-gen Pro Max, Ultra flagships

Starting in September 2026, a new wave of flagship smartphones is expected to debut in China before expanding to India and other global markets. Recent Weibo posts by reliable tipster Digital Chat Station suggest that upcoming flagship devices will be powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipsets. All three are said to be built using TSMC’s next-generation 2nm manufacturing process.

Next-generation flagships to adopt Pro Max, Ultra branding

Last year, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max in September, followed by the 17 Ultra in December. According to DCS, other brands may follow a similar launch strategy this year. He claims that Xiaomi is expected to unveil the Xiaomi 18 series in September, and either Vivo or Oppo could also launch flagship models powered by the 2nm Dimensity 9600 during the same month.

Continuing this trend, the upcoming Vivo X500 series and the Oppo Find X10 lineup are expected to include “Pro Max” branded variants. The tipster also revealed that Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset, carrying the part number SM8975, may be branded as the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro at launch.

He added that this “Pro” variant of Qualcomm’s chip could be designed specifically for Ultra-branded smartphones. These may include devices such as the Xiaomi 18 Ultra, Oppo Find X10 Ultra, and Vivo X500 Ultra. Meanwhile, the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, also reportedly based on a 2nm process, is expected to power regular flagship models.

As a result, smartphones such as the Xiaomi 18 series, Honor Magic 9 series, and iQOO 16 lineup could be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. While the Xiaomi 18 series is expected to go official in September, other flagship launches may follow in October.

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Since it is still too early to speculate about next-generation flagships, it is best to treat this information with a pinch of salt. Do comment below and let us know which flagship you are most excited about this year.