Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 — these could be the first phones to get Qualcomm’s new chip
Qualcomm's next mobile system-on-chip will be here before we know it
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is coming soon, with Qualcomm set to unveil its next big mobile chipset in October. Less clear is which Android phones will be the first to feature the new silicon, though a leak may have just given us a pretty good idea.
A reliable leaker named Yogesh Brar (via Android Authority) has posted what they claim will be the first phone models to receive the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. We're excited to see how powerful these new phones will be when they hit the market.
According to the leak, Xiaomi will be the first phone maker to launch a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4-toting phone. Specifically, the company is expected to include the latest mobile chipset in the Xiaomi 15 series of smartphones.
As far as timeline, Xiaomi will likely announce the 15 series shortly after Qualcomm officially reveals the new chip, as the gap between the chip's reveal and the first phones is expected to be short.
Xiaomi seems to like being first. The company was also the first to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in its Xiaomi 14 lineup of flagship phones. Therefore, it only makes sense for the firm to follow up with the Xiaomi 15 as the first to use the new Snapdragon chip.
Unfortunately, as is typical with Xiaomi phones, we expect the Xiaomi 15 series to be announced in China first. From there, we expect the phones to drop in other regions without ever appearing int he U.S.
Xiaomi may not be the only company preparing to launch a phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. The report indicates that Xiaomi has the right to launch first, but OnePlus and IQOO are next in line to release phones featuring the high-end SoC. It would make sense for the OnePlus 13 and IQOO 13 to be the models that use it, but time will tell if either company has some surprises planned.
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For US phone shoppers, Samsung is expected to be the first company to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 with the Galaxy S25 series. As has been the case recently, the chip will probably be tuned specifically for Galaxy phones and launch as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy.
Qualcomm typically shows off its latest silicon at its annual Snapdragon Summit. Chief marketing officer Don McGuire has already confirmed that's going to happen again this year, with the event taking place in October.
Early Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 leaks showing off the reported Geekbench scores for the new chipset paint an encouraging picture, with scores supposedly topping the unreleased A18 chip that will power this year's iPhone 16 release.
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Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.