The next-gen flagship chip war is heating up — and it’s going to cost you. Leaks from trusted Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station confirm that Qualcomm is developing two new flagship SoCs — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (SM8950) and the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro (SM8975) — with the Pro variant being the only one to support LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage. Xiaomi has already been confirmed to be testing an SM8975 + 16GB LPDDR6 + 1TB UFS 5.0 configuration, likely for a device in the Xiaomi 18 Ultra series.
SM8950 vs SM8975: How the Two Chips Split
| Spec | SD 8 Elite Gen 6 (SM8950) | SD 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro (SM8975) |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TSMC N2P (2nm) | TSMC N2P (2nm) |
| RAM Support | LPDDR5X only | LPDDR6 + LPDDR5X + LPDDR5 |
| Storage Support | UFS 4.0 | UFS 5.0 |
| GPU Config | Standard | Fully unlocked GPU |
| Cache | Standard | Full cache |
| Cost | High | Extremely high |
| Target Devices | Flagships & Pro models | Ultra / Pro Max tier only |
| Current Gen Equivalent | SD 8 Elite Gen 5 (SM8750) | No direct equivalent yet |
What LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0 Actually Change
The current flagship standard is LPDDR5X — topping out at around 9,600 MT/s. LPDDR6, as finalised by JEDEC, runs between 10,667 and 14,400 MT/s. That’s a significant bandwidth jump that directly benefits AI inference, real-time camera processing, and large-model on-device tasks that today’s phones are increasingly being asked to do.
UFS 5.0 roughly doubles the sequential read/write speeds of UFS 4.0 — the current standard in flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13. Faster storage means faster app loads, better sustained camera burst performance, and more headroom for high-bitrate RAW video workflows.
The catch: LPDDR6 currently costs around 20% more than LPDDR5X, and that’s before accounting for the global RAM shortage driven by AI data centre demand eating up supply. Xiaomi’s prototype reportedly features a config where the combined cost of the 16GB LPDDR6 RAM and 1TB UFS 5.0 storage exceeds the cost of the SM8975 chip itself — which is already expected to be Qualcomm’s most expensive mobile SoC ever.
Who Is Testing SM8975?
Xiaomi is reportedly working on a smartphone with the SM8975 chip, 16GB LPDDR6 RAM, and 1TB UFS 5.0 storage, with leakers pointing to the Xiaomi 18 Ultra as the likely candidate. The Pro variant is also expected to power Ultra-branded phones like the Oppo Find X10 Ultra and Vivo X500 Ultra. Notably, even OEMs testing the SM8975 may not ship with LPDDR6 — the chip supports LPDDR5X and LPDDR5 as fallbacks, giving brands a choice between pushing the spec ceiling or keeping prices manageable.
The standard SM8950, meanwhile, is confirmed to max out at LPDDR5X — putting it roughly in line with where current flagships sit today, just on a faster 2nm process.
What This Means for Ultra Flagship Prices
If even one major OEM ships with SM8975 + LPDDR6, you can expect the next round of Ultra flagships to push past the ₹1.5 lakh barrier more aggressively than before. The combination of a pricier chip, pricier RAM, and pricier storage doesn’t leave much room to absorb costs, especially with the global memory crisis still ongoing.
Qualcomm hasn’t officially announced either chip. An announcement is expected later in 2026. For all the latest on next-gen chipsets and flagship smartphones, follow our mobile tech coverage on Technosports. And for what to buy right now in the ultra-flagship segment, check our best Ultra flagship guide on Technosports.
