TECH NEWS – Qualcomm is reportedly planning to launch a slightly different chipset to help its partners reduce storage and DRAM costs.
The company is expected to unveil two versions of its flagship chipset this year: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. One of the most notable differences between the two system-on-chips (SoCs) is that the high-end version will offer LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage support. However, according to recent rumors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will be compatible with older memory and storage standards. This will help reduce component costs for Qualcomm‘s partners. Given the DRAM crisis, this is a welcome development.
Despite the high price of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, the standard version is expected to be produced in greater quantities. According to a leak from Fixed-Focus Digital Cameras, phone manufacturers will be able to incorporate LPDDR6, LPDDR5X, or LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 5.0 storage. However, it also states that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 will only support LPDDR5 RAM, which seems strange since even the non-flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 supports LPDDR5X. Perhaps there was an error on the part of the leaker, or the machine translation was ineffective.
We also learned that Xiaomi is testing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro with the unique SM8975 designation. However, the company’s flagship models may not be released with LPDDR6 RAM. Another Weibo insider, Smart Chip Insider, claims that LPDDR6 RAM will cost 20% more than LPDDR5X and will only be available in 16GB configurations. Currently, Android phone manufacturers are trying to increase their profit margins. Since the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is expensive due to Qualcomm‘s first-time switch to TSMC‘s 2nm N2P process, companies like Xiaomi will have to compromise on internal specifications.
Fortunately, the flexibility of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro may provide some financial relief, even though it will cost Qualcomm‘s partners more than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
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