Qualcomm has introduced two new high-end smartphone processors aimed at improving artificial intelligence features in mobile devices. The chips are called the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, and they were unveiled during the company's annual Snapdragon Summit. These processors are designed to support more advanced AI tasks such as personalization for AI agents and local processing of large language models.
The new chips include a sensing hub that can handle small AI models with up to 200 million parameters without needing cloud support, according to TechCrunch. This sensing hub allows smartphones to run personal scribe functions and distinguish between different speakers during conversations. It also helps build memory based on how users interact with their phones to offer better automation suggestions.
The company noted that the chips can support a full voice-in and voice-out AI agent running locally. One key feature of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is an accelerator designed to improve efficiency in running AI models. The higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 can process even larger models with up to 30 billion parameters using a mixture-of-experts approach.
In comparison, Apple recently released a 20-billion-parameter model during its WWDC event in June. Beyond AI, the chips also offer enhanced camera performance with pixel-level control and improved stabilization features. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 supports video recording at 8K resolution at 60 frames per second and 4K at 240 frames per second.
It also enables the new Advanced Professional Video codec for professional-grade video capture. Both chips can use AI to enhance audio by boosting vocals and reducing background noise during calls. They also feature Qualcomm’s new voice bubble technology that isolates the user's voice during phone conversations.
Motorola announced its Motorola Signature 27 smartphone, which will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip. The device is expected to become available sometime this year. Qualcomm has been developing more than 40 AI devices and believes that many users will rely on their phones for AI tasks rather than other dedicated tools.
Industry figures such as Nothing co-founder Carl Pei have previously suggested this trend, and Apple CEO John Ternus echoed similar thoughts during the iPhone Duo launch earlier this month. At the summit in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm said the new chips will appear in upcoming flagship phones from brands including Motorola and Xiaomi. Qualcomm also named HONOR, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMI, RedMagic and vivo among companies planning devices using the platforms.
These processors continue to support AI agents that can manage complex tasks, answer queries across apps, and anticipate user needs.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is the top-tier chip in the lineup, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 sits just below it. Qualcomm explained that offering two versions at the highest level gives manufacturers more flexibility in choosing their device’s capabilities. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 succeeds last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with better performance, while the Extreme version adds even more AI power.
The Extreme chip includes dedicated AI matrix cores in its Adreno GPU and advanced graphics features similar to those found in high-end gaming systems. Its Hexagon NPU has 50% more shared memory than the previous generation, while the CPU uses a separate 16MB Oryon FlexCache shared among its cores. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 supports shooting in 8K at 60fps and 4K at 240fps for slow-motion video capture.
The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 supports up to 8K video at 30fps and 4K video at 120fps.
Compared to the previous generation, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 offers 13% better CPU performance and 44% improved GPU performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 shows a 10% CPU boost and 35% better GPU performance. AI performance is also improved, with the Extreme version showing a 35% boost in NPU performance and the Gen 6 version seeing a 14% increase.
Both chips use Qualcomm’s custom-built Oryon CPU with prime cores that can reach up to 5GHz, making them the first smartphone processors to reach that clock speed. The redesigned sensing hub includes dual micro neural processing units and Qualcomm says it delivers up to 85% better performance for on-device AI learning.
Qualcomm says the Extreme chip's NPU also provides up to 33% better AI performance per watt. The standard Gen 6 offers up to 20% better AI performance per watt.
Both chips are manufactured using a 2-nanometer process. Qualcomm says the platforms are designed to bring more AI processing directly onto smartphones instead of relying entirely on cloud services.