Samsung Finds Serious Issues With Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 — Qualcomm Disputes It

Samsung has reportedly found overheating and sustained-performance problems with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 during internal testing, prompting Qualcomm to push back against the claims.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 is Qualcomm’s first 2nm chipset, but South Korean outlet Sedaily reports that Samsung is still seeing thermal issues despite the move to a more advanced manufacturing process and Qualcomm’s new packaging design.

Samsung has reportedly shared its findings with Qualcomm and asked the company to address the overheating problems this month.

Throttling Under Heavy Loads

According to the report, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 experiences throttling during demanding workloads, causing its clock speeds to fall when high performance is sustained for extended periods.

However, the report did not provide any figures or detailed results from Samsung’s internal testing, making it difficult to independently assess the claims.

Qualcomm has already adopted Offset PoP packaging for the chipset to improve thermal performance. Instead of placing the DRAM directly above the main silicon, the design shifts it slightly and allows a heatsink to sit above it.

An earlier test showed a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 reference device taking around 15 minutes to reach its maximum temperature threshold, more than twice as long as devices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

“Claims Are 100% NOT Accurate”

Qualcomm Chief Marketing Officer Don McGuire responded to the controversy on X, saying the overheating claims were “100% NOT accurate.”

In a reply, McGuire said smartphone manufacturers are constantly tuning their platforms as products move toward launch.

That could mean Samsung’s internal testing allowed the chip to operate at its maximum power limit, potentially causing thermal throttling.

However, McGuire’s post specifically referred to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, rather than the higher-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 at the center of the original report.

The omission leaves some uncertainty over whether his comments apply specifically to the Extreme version or only to the standard chip.

Extreme Version Can Run at Higher Power

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 share several similarities, but the Extreme version can be tuned to reach its advertised 5.00GHz clock speed by operating at a higher power limit.

Qualcomm has pursued higher clock speeds and the latest manufacturing processes to improve single-core and multi-core benchmark performance.

However, higher power limits can also increase heat output, meaning additional performance can come with a thermal trade-off.

Samsung Could Turn to Exynos 2700

Samsung has another option if Qualcomm cannot address the reported issues.

The company is developing the Exynos 2700, which is expected to use Samsung’s improved SF2P 2nm manufacturing process and could potentially appear in the Galaxy S27 Ultra.

The original report suggested that continued problems with Qualcomm’s chip could give Samsung more reason to use its own processor.

However, the lack of detailed internal test results has also raised questions about whether the reports could be helping build expectations around the Exynos 2700.

South Korean media have previously promoted Samsung’s Exynos chips, including the Exynos 2600, before they later fell behind competing processors in several benchmarks.

Apple’s Different Approach

The report also contrasts Qualcomm’s strategy with Apple’s approach to the A20 Pro.

Apple’s 2nm chip focuses not only on the manufacturing process but also on architectural improvements.

Paired with the vapor chamber inside the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the A20 Pro reportedly allows the phone to run cooler than Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered Android gaming phones equipped with dedicated cooling fans.

For now, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 overheating claims remain unverified because Samsung’s internal test data has not been made public.

Qualcomm has disputed reports of systemic thermal problems, but questions remain because McGuire’s public response referred specifically to the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 rather than clearly naming the Extreme model.

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