Qualcomm’s third-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite to reportedly come in two versions amid soaring TSMC 2nm costs

Qualcomm is reportedly adopting a dual-version strategy for its third-gen Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset (2026 flagship) to offset the rising costs of TSMC’s 2nm process, according to tech blogger Digital Chat Station. The upcoming flagship platform SM8950, which is likely the third-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite, will fully utilize TSMC’s 2nm technology. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is reportedly preparing a second variant, SM8945, with slightly lower specifications. This approach is similar to Apple’s strategy of offering both standard and Pro versions in its A-series chips. The move comes as the cost of 2nm wafers has reportedly reached $30,000 a piece. [Digital Chat Station, in Chinese]