Summary
- Xiaomi could be the first Android phone brand to debut a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 smartphone, with OnePlus and iQOO expected to follow suit with their upcoming flagships.
- Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit typically features partners revealing their latest devices with the latest flagship processors.
- Xiaomi’s strategic move to unveil phones with new Snapdragon chips first is a smart marketing tactic.
When we talk about Android chipsets, Qualcomm stands out as the top player. It is the go-to for processors in Android phones across all price ranges, but it’s the company’s flagship chip that steals the spotlight. Take the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, for example, which launched in 2023; it’s been the heart of many top-of-the-line smartphones. Xiaomi snagged the bragging rights for launching the first phone with that chip, and it looks like the company might do it again with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
According to reliable tipster Yogesh Brar, Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship lineup, the Xiaomi 15 series, is set to lead the pack by being the first to debut with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Historically, Xiaomi has been quick off the mark in unveiling its premium lineup featuring Qualcomm’s top-notch SoC. So, it won’t be surprising to see the Chinese phone maker unveil its top handsets with Qualcomm’s latest and greatest this year before anyone else.
Qualcomm just confirmed when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will arrive
The upcoming chipset is packing an Oryon CPU
Qualcomm wrapped up its Mobile World Congress announcements with a subtle teaser indicating that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 would arrive in October, bringing along some fresh tech that could seriously up the ante for Android smartphone performance. This chipset is anticipated to rock a custom Oryon CPU, promising a hefty CPU boost over Arm CPUs.
Phones from OnePlus and iQOO are expected to follow suit
Every year at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, you can count on a handful of Qualcomm’s phone partners to show up and spill the beans on which of their devices will feature the latest flagship processor. In addition to Xiaomi, OnePlus and iQOO are supposed to follow suit with their next top-of-the-line phones, such as the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13, as per Brar.
Xiaomi’s strategy of being the first Qualcomm smartphone partner to reveal its Android flagship for the upcoming year is a smart marketing move. Being the first to announce a phone with the hot new Snapdragon chip is a great way to steal the spotlight and get everyone excited about its upcoming phones.
A Qualcomm executive previously suggested that the new Snapdragon chip is its priciest yet, so we’ll see if Xiaomi passes those costs on to consumers. This could make the Xiaomi 15 series pretty expensive.