Android Flagship With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Chipset & Dimensity 9600 Will Share Same Launch Month As iPhone 18, Eliminating Time Advantage For Apple

Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek are rumored to be readying their first 2nm chipsets this year, with the iPhone maker said to be sticking with TSMC’s N2 node, while its rival is said to be switching to the slightly better N2P process to gain a small performance advantage while ensuring that there are sufficient wafer shipments for both companies. Previously, Apple had a lead of several weeks when launching the iPhone 17 series, but according to the latest rumors, the three companies will compete with each other in terms of launch schedule. With this advantage no longer available, the three companies had to produce their best silicon.

On Weibo, Smart Pikachu commented that the flagship phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 will share the same launch window as the iPhone 18, namely in September. But if you remember, even Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 were announced in September, but the difference is that Apple managed to hold its event a few weeks before Qualcomm and MediaTek. Given the company’s strong supply chain, Apple opened pre-orders just a week after its launch, thereby securing a huge advantage over the competition.

• iPhone 17 Launch – September 9
• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Launch – September 24
• Dimensity 9500 Launch – September 22

Another tipster from Weibo, Smart Chip Insider, also claims that the A20 and A20 Pro, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, as well as the Dimensity 9600 will be launched in the same month, but looking at the above dates, Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek will just be repeating history, unless the rumors imply that the 2nm chipsets will be announced close to each other. Assuming this is a true Smart Pikachu claim, then Apple’s lead time will be eliminated, but the company has another weapon it will take full advantage of: its strong supply chain.

Even when the first flagship products Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 were announced, it took weeks to reach the market, while the iPhone 17 series did not take long to flood many markets. For the current advantage to truly disappear, Qualcomm and MediaTek will not only have to work with TSMC to ensure that their SoC shipments are not delayed, but also collaborate with phone partners to make efforts to flood their flagship phones around the same time as the iPhone 18. Of course, this is easier said than done, especially during the DRAM crisis, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for further updates.

News Source: Smart Pikachu

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