Qualcomm teases two Snapdragon flagships for September 22

Qualcomm plans to unveil two Snapdragon 8 Elite processors on September 22, 2026, a move that could shape Samsung’s next premium phone lineup. SamMobile reports that the Galaxy S27 series is expected to use the higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro.

The company’s teaser refers to “Dual 8 Elites,” “Twice the options,” and “Opportunity doubled.” Qualcomm also promises stronger agentic AI capabilities, new connectivity technologies, enhanced camera functions, and GPU performance aimed at immersive gaming.

“Dual 8 Elites”

This would be the first time Qualcomm introduces two Snapdragon 8 Elite chips in the same generation. The company has not yet confirmed the processors' specifications or official names, but Android Authority says that previous leaks point to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro.

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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Gen 6 Pro leaks

The rumored Pro model is expected to use TSMC’s 2nm process and an octa-core Oryon CPU arranged as 2+3+3. Leaks also point to an Adreno 850 GPU with 18MB of dedicated memory and support for LPDDR6 RAM.

The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is reportedly based on a 3nm process, with the same 2+3+3 CPU arrangement but potentially lower clock speeds. It is expected to use an Adreno 845 GPU with 12MB of dedicated memory and support LPDDR5X RAM.

Those specifications remain unconfirmed. Qualcomm’s teaser mentions GPU, connectivity, camera, and AI improvements but does not identify the CPU, GPU, manufacturing process, or memory standards.

The split could also affect 2026 flagship pricing. Android Authority reports that the Pro chip may bring a significant price increase over the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, potentially encouraging phone makers to use the standard chip in base flagship models. That would give manufacturers a way to limit costs while still offering a new-generation Snapdragon processor.

Samsung’s expected use of the Pro chip would represent a more ambitious direction for the Galaxy S27 series. It also aligns with earlier reporting on a possible Galaxy S27 gaming boost and leaks about the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro’s 2nm design, though the processor and Samsung’s final configuration will not be official until Qualcomm’s September 22 event.

Update, 22 September 2026 — Qualcomm launches Gen 6 and Extreme models

The Verge reports that Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. Both are built on a 2nm process and use CPUs with two big cores clocked up to 5GHz and six performance cores up to 4GHz.

The Extreme variant adds higher-end video capture, including 8K at 60fps and 4K at 240fps, plus Advanced Professional Video codec support. Qualcomm also attributes its AI and gaming gains to a larger NPU shared-memory pool and AI matrix cores and additional memory in the GPU.

Motorola has confirmed its Signature 27 will use the Extreme chip. Qualcomm also named Vivo, Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, iQoo, Nubia, OnePlus, Redmi, Redmagic, and ZTE as adopters of the two processors.

Update, 22 September 2026 — Signature 27 gets 200MP camera and US launch

The Verge reports that Motorola’s Signature 27 will pair its Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera and a 50-megapixel main camera using Sony’s LOFIC-enabled Lytia 910 sensor. Motorola has also promised seven years of Android updates.

Motorola has not yet provided the phone’s full specifications, price, or release date. The company says it plans a global launch before the end of 2026, including the US; unlike the first Motorola Signature, which did not launch there.

Update, 22 September 2026 — Extreme chip runs 30B-parameter AI model

TechCrunch reports that Qualcomm’s new sensing hubs can run small models of up to 200 million parameters locally. Qualcomm said the hardware can support a personal scribe that distinguishes speakers and builds usage-based memory for automation suggestions, as well as a complete voice-input and voice-output agent.

The company said the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 can run a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts model locally. Both chips also use AI for vocal enhancement and noise reduction, while Qualcomm’s new Voice Bubble feature is intended to isolate a user’s voice during calls. Qualcomm said the camera hardware provides pixel-level control, improved stabilization, and motion understanding.

Update, 24 September 2026 — Galaxy S27 chip split rumored by region

SamMobile reports that the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 has 16MB of Oryon FlexCache, supports up to 24GB of LPDDR5X or LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage, and uses Qualcomm’s X105 modem. Qualcomm says the modem reaches peak rates of 14.8Gbps downlink and 4.2Gbps uplink, with mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G support.

For Samsung’s lineup, the outlet says the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra could use the Extreme chip globally. It reports that the Galaxy S27 and S27+ could use a Snapdragon chip only in China and North America; it does not identify the processor for other regions.