Qualcomm gears up for 2026 with 2nm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3 chips alongside Apple

Qualcomm is rumoured to be preparing a significant leap in smartphone chipset technology with the launch of its next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite 3 processors, reportedly built on a cutting-edge 2nm process. The US-based chip giant is said to be working on two chipsets under this architecture, SM8950 and SM8945, expected to make their debut in 2026.

According to a tipster known as Digital Chat Station, who shared the details on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the Snapdragon 8 Elite 3 is set to become Qualcomm’s flagship processor for premium smartphones. The SM8950 model is believed to be the direct successor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, promising better performance, enhanced power efficiency, and more advanced AI capabilities.

Qualcomm is said to be adopting a dual-sourcing strategy to meet production requirements for its flagship processors. Reports suggest that the company plans to collaborate with both TSMC and Samsung Foundry for fabricating the new chipsets, a move aimed at securing supply chains and managing production costs effectively.

The second model, SM8945, is rumoured to be a less powerful iteration of the Snapdragon 8 Elite 3, though it will still be built on the 2nm process. To differentiate the chipsets, Qualcomm may underclock GPU cores or deploy a less powerful GPU in the SM8945 model, making it a more affordable option for smartphone manufacturers.

Qualcomm’s advancement into the 2nm territory is likely an effort to maintain its competitive edge over Apple, which is also expected to debut its own 2nm chip, the A20 Pro, in 2026. According to reports from WCCFTech, Apple will be the first to utilise TSMC’s N2 process technology, which promises significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency thanks to its nanosheet transistor structure.

Apple’s upcoming A20 Pro chipset is expected to power the iPhone 18 series, making the competition between Qualcomm and Apple even fiercer as both companies strive to push the limits of semiconductor technology.