Xiaomi is expected to be first out of the gate with Qualcomm’s newly announced Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 platform. The Xiaomi 18 Pro is slated to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 (SM8950), while the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will step up to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen6.
Both phones are due to be unveiled in China on September 23. A wider release by the end of the year remains uncertain.
Qualcomm positions the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 as delivering a 10% CPU-performance increase and 37% better CPU power efficiency. Its GPU is said to reduce power consumption by 40%, while the NPU delivers a 14% performance gain. The Elite Extreme version raises the claimed CPU-performance improvement to 13%, with a matching 13% efficiency gain and a 44% increase in GPU performance.
Other Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 devices on the roadmap
- Honor Magic9 — September 28
- Honor Magic9 Pro Max — September 28
- Motorola Signature 27
- OnePlus 16 — September 28
- vivo X500 Ultra — March to April 2027
- iQOO Pad Ultra — September 29
- RedMagic 12 Pro+ — October
No prices for the first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 devices have been announced. Higher memory costs alongside the new flagship silicon could put additional pressure on pricing as these products reach the market.
