On September 29, 2025, developers stumbled upon traces of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen6 (with the model number SM8950) within the Pengpai OS code repository. This particular chip is anticipated to have its worldwide launch alongside the Xiaomi 18, which is slated for release in 2026.

In the meantime, Qualcomm has plans to roll out two flagship chips from the Snapdragon 8 - series. These are the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen6 (bearing the model number SM8975) and the Snapdragon 8 Gen6 (model number SM8950). The former is aimed at competing with Apple's A20, while the latter is set to take on Apple's A20 Pro.

Both chips are designed to leverage TSMC's 2nm manufacturing process. This cutting - edge process is expected to bring about substantial enhancements in both performance and energy efficiency. However, there's a downside. Given the escalating costs associated with TSMC's 2nm wafer foundry services, it's projected that the prices of the Snapdragon 8 Gen6 series chipsets will go up. This, in turn, could potentially result in a price increase for the Xiaomi 18 series smartphones.