Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Could Be Reserved for ‘Ultra’ Smartphones This Year

We have just transitioned to 2026 and are being bombarded with fresh insights about the smartphones launching this year. The latest piece of information from a reliable tipster reveals a shift in how manufacturers might deploy upcoming silicon from Qualcomm and MediaTek.

Flahship Phones in 2026 will see Staggered Launches

According to Digital Chat Station, brands like Oppo, Vivo and Honor are planning to introduce Pro Max variants in their next cycles. The tipster suggests these brands may adopt a staggered launch strategy.

Digital Chat Station on Weibo with information about Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6

This means releasing standard flagships around September 2026 to better align with chipset releases rather than delaying premium models until April. For example, the Vivo X400 and X400 Pro could arrive much earlier alongside an X400 Pro Max. And then the X400 Ultra could arrive before the end of the year.

The leak suggests that the Pro Max models could feature MediaTek Dimensity 9600 processors, whereas the more expensive "Ultra" flagships could adopt Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro processor. It will distinguish the top-tier models from mainstream flagships.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 8 Gen 5 illustrations — Image Credit: Qualcomm

Both the Dimensity 9600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could be based on TSMC's 2nm N2P process, just like the Apple A20 Pro. However, this segmentation indicates that brands are looking to create distinct identities for their top-tier flagships. MediaTek will be used for raw performance, while Qualcomm processors will be geared toward providing the Ultra flagship-level experience.

This is also the first time we're hearing about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro. The chipset is internally codenamed SM8975, and DCS suggests it will heavily focus on providing the best optics and performance.

This also means that smartphone brands will have to finalise their upcoming flagships and Ultra smartphones much quicker. Leaks and information about these smartphones should also surface sooner. While this is very early information, we should hear more about the leak's authenticity as we inch closer to Q2 2026, so stay tuned.