The fiercest competition in the mobile processor market is gaining new momentum heading into 2027. Following rumors that emerged earlier this week, well-known leakster Digital Chat Station (DCS) has shared more concrete details about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 chipset, which will come in two variants: one standard and one Pro.

A New Era in Mobile Processor Competition

This new series is expected to make a significant leap forward in mobile performance, as both the standard and Pro chips are claimed to be manufactured using TSMC’s cutting-edge N2P (2nm) manufacturing process. According to the leak, Qualcomm’s flagship chipsets will carry the following codenames:

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (Standard): Model number SM8950.
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro: The higher-end model will be identified by the codename SM8975.

Both Qualcomm chips are expected to utilize the company’s third-generation custom CPU architecture and a 2+3+3 core layout. However, the main difference between the two models is thought to be that only the Pro version will offer LPDDR6 memory support, distinguishing it from the rest by its higher GPU performance.

According to DCS, MediaTek’s upcoming flagship chipset, the Dimensity 9600, will slot right in between these two Qualcomm chips in the performance hierarchy. This means the Dimensity 9600 will outperform the “standard” 8 Elite Gen 6, while the 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will maintain its top spot.

Unlike Qualcomm, MediaTek is not currently planning multiple versions of its flagship and will reportedly continue to use the reliable ARM CPU architecture. DCS has confirmed that the Dimensity 9600 will utilize the same TSMC 2nm process as Qualcomm’s new chips. The exact core configuration the Dimensity 9600 will use to balance performance between the two Snapdragon models remains unclear.

The transition to TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm manufacturing process and faster memory technologies like LPDDR6 will deliver significant benefits for mobile devices in terms of both performance and power efficiency.

However, another report points out that this advanced manufacturing process and faster memory will increase production costs. This could push flagship phone prices even higher by 2027.