Android smartphone prices may rise again as the next wave of flagship chipsets appears set to cost more for device makers. The pressure does not come only from earlier shortages of RAM and storage, but also from a reported jump in the price of Qualcomm’s upcoming mobile platform.
A recent leak suggests Qualcomm could charge more than US$300, or around Rp 5.2 million, to smartphone vendors for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. If accurate, that would place the new chip well above the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which gadget leaker Abhishek Yadav said costs around US$240 to US$280, or about Rp 4.2 million to Rp 4.9 million.
Why the new chipset could push prices higher
The reported increase is not small when viewed from a manufacturer’s perspective. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 would cost US$20 to US$60 more than its predecessor, or roughly Rp 351,000 to Rp 1 million higher, based on the leak.
That gap may look modest on paper, but it matters in the premium segment where component costs already run high. When chipset prices rise alongside limited memory and storage supply, phone brands often face less room to keep retail prices stable.
The leak also places the new chip far above an older reference point. Snapdragon Gen 1 was reportedly priced at about US$120, or around Rp 2.1 million, which means the latest figure would be more than double that level.
Two versions are said to be in development
According to the circulating information, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 may arrive in two variants: a standard model and a Pro version. The Pro model is said to target the highest-end devices with a 2 nm process, faster graphics, premium RAM, and a larger cache.
The standard version is expected to sit slightly below the Pro in performance. It may still use LPDDR5X memory, but with a GPU that is not as fast as the Pro variant.
This split could give brands more flexibility in building different flagship tiers. The standard chip may serve regular premium phones, while the Pro version could be reserved for ultra-premium models such as a possible Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra or top-tier devices from Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and other makers.
What this means for smartphone buyers
If Qualcomm’s reported pricing proves accurate, flagship phones may become more expensive even before other internal costs are counted. That would add another layer of pressure in a market already dealing with tighter component supply.
The situation also highlights how much chip pricing can shape the final selling price of a smartphone. A high-end processor does not stand alone, but it often sets the tone for the rest of the hardware bill, especially in devices that chase top performance, strong cameras, and advanced AI features.
Qualcomm has not confirmed the leak
Qualcomm has not issued any statement about the new mobile chipset, and no official specifications or pricing details have been announced. The information now circulating remains unconfirmed, so the final retail impact is still uncertain.
Even so, the leak has already raised concern among buyers who follow flagship launches closely. If the figures are close to reality, the next generation of premium Android phones could enter the market at even steeper prices than today’s models.
