Rumors of the Xiaomi 16 being tested with Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon chipset are gaining traction. A recent discovery within Xiaomi's HyperOS 2.0 code seems to confirm this speculation.
While the Xiaomi 15 series recently launched with the Snapdragon 8 Elite in China, there's already evidence of development on the next generation. Twitter user @erenylmaz075 has uncovered a reference to "SM8850" within HyperOS 2.0 code, believed to be a second-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite (possibly named the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2).
This discovery likely points to a prototype being used to develop devices like the Xiaomi 16 and Xiaomi 16 Pro. While still early in the development cycle, this leak suggests that Xiaomi is actively working on integrating the next-gen Snapdragon chip into its future flagship devices.