Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit is scheduled for September 22 to 24, where the next generation of Snapdragon 8 Elite chips will be officially unveiled. Multiple manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo, are poised to launch their flagship devices that same month, with reports indicating that Xiaomi will be the first to market.
The Xiaomi 18 series will consist of three models: the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, Xiaomi 18 Pro, and Xiaomi 18. The Pro Max version will feature two 200MP cameras, including a main sensor with a size of 1/1.28” LOFIC. The Xiaomi 18 Pro will showcase a larger rear display and potentially include a Privacy Display feature. The base model, Xiaomi 18, will sport a 6.4” screen and a substantial 7,200mAh battery.
Regarding the chipsets, both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will be produced on a 2nm fabrication node, although the manufacturer (either Samsung or TSMC) has not yet been confirmed. These chipsets will employ next-generation Oryon CPU cores arranged in a 2+3+3 configuration. The standard Elite version will come with an Adreno 845 GPU alongside 12MB of on-chip graphics memory and an additional 6MB of last-level cache (LLC). In contrast, the Elite Pro version is anticipated to feature an Adreno 850 GPU with 18MB of graphics memory and 8MB of LLC. A standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 6 variant is also reportedly in development.
Xiaomi 18 render courtesy of Digital Chat StationThe rationale behind the three-tier configuration is primarily cost-related. Early estimates suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could retail for around $300. Therefore, only the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max will likely be equipped with the Elite Pro chip, with the possibility of the Xiaomi 18 Ultra following suit later. The Xiaomi 18 and 18 Pro models are expected to utilize the standard Elite chip.
The launch schedule for the devices will not be simultaneous. Reports indicate that the Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will debut in September, earning the distinction of being the “first phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6-series.” The smaller Xiaomi 18 is slated for an October release.
It is worth noting that last year, the Xiaomi 17 series became the first to adopt the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processors.
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