Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Extreme chips with on-device AI focus

At its annual Snapdragon Summit on September 23, Qualcomm introduced two flagship smartphone processors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, with a stronger emphasis on on-device AI capabilities.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 includes a new accelerator element designed to run models more efficiently. The higher-end Extreme edition can run a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts (MoE) model locally; while the overall model size is 30B, only a subset of parameters is activated for a given task.

Both chips feature new sensing hubs capable of running small models of up to 200 million parameters, enabling improved personalization for AI agents. The chips can run a personal scribe locally, differentiate between speakers, and build memory based on usage patterns to offer better suggestions for automating tasks. Qualcomm said the platform can run a complete voice-in, voice-out agent through the new silicon.

On the imaging side, the new CPU provides pixel-level control for cameras, along with improved stabilization and motion understanding. The Extreme version supports 8K 60fps video recording and 4K 240fps ultra HD slow-motion, and enables a new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec. Both chips also use AI to boost vocals and reduce noise, and include Qualcomm's voice bubble technology to isolate surrounding noise during calls.

At the same event, Motorola announced its Motorola Signature 27 smartphone, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, with general availability expected later this year.