Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Comes in an Extreme Version Too

Qualcomm has announced its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 mobile chip, joined this year by a second flagship variant called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.

The company describes both new chips as flagship processors intended for high-end smartphones, with the spec differences between the two described as relatively minor.

The Extreme version is primarily distinguished by improved AI processing capabilities, enhanced video capture performance and stronger gaming performance compared to the standard Gen 6 chip.

Both chips are expected to power a range of upcoming flagship smartphones from manufacturers that use Qualcomm processors, continuing the company's practice of offering tiered flagship chip options within the same generation.

The launch reflects continued competition among mobile chipmakers to offer stronger on-device artificial intelligence capabilities, an area that has become a key focus for smartphone processor design in recent years.

Device makers are expected to announce specific phone models built around the new chips in the coming months, with pricing and availability to be detailed as those devices are unveiled.