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The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is one of an increasing number of smartphones that are IP69 certified against dust and water. Unfortunately, it seems this will only be true in China. By contrast, Xiaomi has now confirmed that the device will miss out on IP69 certification globally.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus will miss out on IP69 certification globally. (Image source: Xiaomi)
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is not available outside China just yet. Nonetheless, Xiaomi is preparing to introduce the device in China on December 9 alongside at least theRedmi Note 14 Pro 5G. In the meantime, the company has decided to run a teaser campaign on its Indian social media channels, mirroring an equivalent it ran for theRedmi Note 13 Pro Plusat the start of the year.
For example, Xiaomi boasts that the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is its ‘most advanced SuperNote’ to date. To that end, it has now effectively confirmed that rumoured camera downgrades between Chinese and global models were unfounded. Moreover, it reports that the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is the only model in its segment to feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which protects its large AMOLED display.
While most manufacturers reserve Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for their flagships, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus will receive a durability downgrade for its international release. Specifically, Xiaomi has decided against certifying the device to IP69, as it does in China.
Instead, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus will reach India with IP68 certification. For reference, the second digit means that the device has been tested to withstand hot and high-pressure water jets. As a result, it seems that the international version of the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus will not be as waterproof as its Chinese counterpart.
New details about the upcoming Xiaomi 15 Ultra flagship have emerged. Although the official release is expected only in early 2025, photos of the back of the smartphone have already appeared online and confirm previous leaks.
The images show an improved design and new camera components.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra will feature a 50MP Sony LYT-900 main sensor with a 1-inch optical format.
The camera will be located on the left side of the rear panel. The device will also use Samsung ISOCELL HP9 and IMX858 sensors, as well as the ISOCELL JN5 ultra-wide-angle camera.
The smartphone has a modern look with a sloping body and a large module for wireless charging.
Xiaomi will unveil the model at the Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC 2025), although the debut in China may come earlier.
The upgraded AI voice assistant is “thoughtful and capable” of handling more complex tasks than the previous version of Xiao AI, Xiaomisays. The new voice assistant also looks incredibly similar toApple Intelligence; it could almost be a direct clone of the Cupertino giant’s own AI feature suite.
When typing text into Super Xiao AI, you’ll immediately see the similarities with Apple Intelligence’s Type to Siri feature – even the shape of the text box and logo placement are the same. One user on X also demonstrated the similarities between Super Xiao AI and Apple Intelligence’s Writing Tools.
Judging by the above, Xiaomi’s AI Writing feature is a borderline copy/paste job of Apple’s UI; it even includes the new ability to enter prompts to direct the AI writing tool, just like the new update to Writing Tools in iOS 18.2.
Super Xiao AI is part of a wider software update coming to the best Xiaomi phones running HyperOS 2, including the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 14.
Not the first time
（Xiaomi HyperOS in action)
This isn’t the first time the Chinese company has taken inspiration from its North American competition. Xiaomi’s MIUIoperating systemlooked incredibly similar to Apple’s Control Center design iOS 17, and the company even adopted similar UI elements in the MIUI Camera app and Settings.
It’s not a surprise to see brands copy Apple’s gorgeous UI design, but Xiaomi’s approach is so blatantly obvious that it can often take away from the company’s excellent products. While I’ve heard many tech journalists rave about Xiaomi smartphones (we ourselves described theXiaomi 14 Ultra, for instance, as the “king of the camera phones”), as an iPhone user, I’m more familiar with the company’s attempts to clone iOS than I am with Xiaomi devices.
To quote Oscar Wilde, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” But why does a company that is so far above mediocrity continue to imitate? Super Xiao AI might end up trumping Apple Intelligence as the best AI voice assistant, but it will be hard for the AI model to ever get rid of its tag as an Apple clone.
Xiaomi has now confirmed roughly when it will be releasing its recent Redmi Note 14 series internationally. At the same time, the company has also revealed where the Redmi Note 14, Redmi Note 14 Pro and Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, a leaker has provided a specific date for their release.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus will be the most powerful option in the Redmi Note 14 range. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi has released three Redmi Note 14 series smartphones to date, which serve as direct replacements for last year’s Redmi Note 13 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G. There has been evidence that Xiaomi will eventually introduce corresponding 4G models though, just as it has with the Redmi Note 13 series.
With that being said, the Redmi Note 14, Redmi Note 14 5G, Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G have been exclusive to China since their simultaneous releases in late September. However, Xiaomi has now offered the first hint about their international debut.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the company is remaining light on specifics for now. Nonetheless, BW Businessworld reports that Xiaomi intends to launch Redmi Note 14 models before the end of the year in India. To that end, outgoing Xiaomi India president Muralikrishnan B outlined as much in an accompanying interview:
After 2022, we slowed down to an annual [Redmi Note] cycle… now, with improved efficiency and manufacturing alignment, we’re ready to return to a dual-launch approach.
According to BW Businessworld, this Indian-specific launch will occur in December. While the magazine has not provided a date yet, leaker Sanju Choudhary suggests that all three devices could officially arrive on December 26. Although pricing remains unofficial for now, please see our Redmi Note 14 5G, Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G launch articles to see how the trio compare against Xiaomi’s current mid-range models.
Following the success of the 14 series, Xiaomi has officially announced the Xiaomi 15 phones which includes the Pro model and two editions not seen before.
Both the regular Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra were up there with the best phones you can buy, with the latter offering a compelling DSLR alternative for many people.
The new Xiaomi 15 models have big shoes to fill, though note that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is yet to be unveiled. Xiaomi did unveil the Pad 7 and Pad 7 tablets, though.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Xiaomi 15 series, from its release date and pricing to detailed specs and features.
When will the Xiaomi 15 be released? The Xiaomi 15 series, including the regular Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro, were unveiled on 29 October 2024.
The both phones are currently available for pre-order in China, with general sales set to begin on 31 October 2024.
While this release date applies to the Chinese market, Xiaomi has not yet announced specific details for a global launch.
Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, posted on X that “we’re bringing the Xiaomi 15 Series to global markets soon.”
And as with all Xiaomi phones, don’t expect any of the 15 series to ever be officially sold in the US. Your best bet there will be to try and import one or buy a ‘global’ model from the likes of Amazon.
How much will the Xiaomi 15 cost? The Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro come in multiple configurations, offering different storage and RAM combinations to cater to diverse needs.
Each model offers a variety of colour options, with the Xiaomi 15 Pro providing a more premium Rock Silver version and the Xiaomi 15 featuring an additional Custom Edition with up to 20 colour choices.
What specs and features will the Xiaomi 15 have? Design The standard Xiaomi 15 maintains a compact design at 152.3 x 71.2 x 8.08mm, slightly smaller than its predecessor but with a minor weight increase to 191g.
The device is protected by Xiaomi’s new Dragon Crystal glass, boasting 10x the durability of Gorilla Glass Victus (according to Xiaomi’s Lab.)
The Xiaomi 15 Custom Edition prioritises personalisation, designed for users seeking a device that reflects their unique style.
With 20 colour options available for the back panel, along with the choice between two bezel types, this edition offers an impressive variety of 40 possible combinations.
The Custom Edition maintains the core specifications and design language of the Xiaomi 15, including the ultra-narrow bezels, quad-curved frame, and lightweight build.
The most eye-catching is the Xiaomi 15 Diamond Edition which boasts a diamond-studded frame, offering a distinct shimmer that elevates the aesthetic appeal. This edition is available in three exclusive colour options: Glacier White, Elephant Gray, and a bold Orange.
The back panel features a premium crocodile-skin textured Corna leather. The diamond-studded frame extends around the device’s quad-curved wrapped metal frame, seamlessly blending into the glass-covered back, creating a continuous, unified look.
This edition also includes a specially designed packaging box and exclusive gift, underscoring its status as a limited, premium offering.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro, on the other hand, features a slightly larger 6.73-inch screen with micro-curved edges for a sleek look and comes with Dragon Crystal Glass 2.0 for enhanced scratch resistance.
Both models are IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.
Display
The Xiaomi 15 features a 6.36-inch flat OLED panel with a 1,200 x 2,670 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, capable of reaching a peak brightness of 3,200 nits with DC dimming.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 15 Pro upgrades to a 6.73-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 1,440 x 3,200 resolution, a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and the same peak brightness of 3,200 nits.
Both phones incorporate an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner beneath the display for added security.
Performance
Both models of the Xiaomi 15 series are powered by theSnapdragon 8 Elitechipset, paired with 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB with UFS 4.0 technology.
Cameras
Xiaomi continues with a triple 50Mp camera setup for both models but introduces different enhancements.
The Xiaomi 15’s primary camera is the 50Mp OmniVision Light Fusion 900 sensor with 1.2µm pixels and 23mm focal length, equipped for 5x lossless zoom. The telephoto lens offers a 60mm focal length for portraits and macro shots, while the ultrawide camera has a 115° field of view.
For the Pro version, Xiaomi has worked with Leica for camera tuning, and it includes the same 50Mp main camera, a new 50Mp periscope camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 50Mp ultrawide lens.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro’s camera system also benefits from the AISP 2.0 computational photography system, boosting overall image quality and enabling 8K video recording at 30fps and 4K at 30/60fps with Dolby Vision HDR across all cameras.
Battery & charging
The Xiaomi 15 packs a 5400mAh battery with Silicon-Carbon technology for longevity, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro houses a massive 6100mAh battery.
Both phones support 90W wired and 50W wireless charging, optimized by the Xiaomi G1 battery management chip, ensuring that each device retains at least 80% capacity even after 1,600 charging cycles (according to Xiaomi).
Software
The Xiaomi 15 series is confirmed to ship running the company’sHyperOS 2 software, which is based onAndroid 15.
It introduces three significant innovations – HyperCore, HyperConnect, and HyperAI – enhancing performance, connectivity, and AI-driven user experiences across its ecosystem.
It’s not yet clear if Xiaomi will continue offering the four major Android updates and five years of security updates available on the 14 series.
With a dedicated team optimising over 25,000 usage scenarios, HyperCore includes a custom scheduler that reduces CPU idle time by 19%, dynamic memory management, and Storage 2.0.
HyperConnect, on the other hand, fosters seamless cross-device integration, allowing Xiaomi devices to share apps, files, and even dual-camera feeds for multi-angle video recording.
Lastly, HyperAI elevates user interaction with AI-driven features such as animated lock screens, real-time transcription, and AI-generated call summaries.
Additional AI tools include sketch-to-art conversion, bilingual translation, and fraud detection.
This is all we currently know about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagships. We will update this article when we hear about global launch details including the UK.
In the meantime, see our guides to the best phones and the best Xiaomi phones to see what the Xiaomi 15 series will be up against.
Xiaomi has unveiled the Xiaomi 15 Pro alongside a whole host of other devices today. Arriving as one of the first devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Xiaomi 15 Pro also packs a massive 6,100 mAh battery and a new 120 mm telephoto camera.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro complements Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with a huge 6,100 mAh battery. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi has now fully introduced the Xiaomi 15 Pro, which effectively replaces the Xiaomi 14 Ultra as the company’s premier smartphone. For context, the Xiaomi 15 Pro has arrived alongside the smaller Xiaomi 15, which clocks in with a 6.36-inch display.
By contrast, Xiaomi equips the Xiaomi 15 Pro with a 6.73-inch display that helps it measure 161.3 x 75.3 x 8.4~8.7 mm and weigh 213~219 g. Please note that while the Xiaomi 15 Pro outputs at 1440p and 120 Hz like the Xiaomi 14 Pro, it gets 200 nits brighter thanks to a 3,200 nit peak brightness. Moreover, this brighter display is joined by a 6,100 mAh Silicon Carbon (Si/C) battery and Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
Unfortunately, wired charging capabilities have dropped from 120 W to 90 W; 50 W wireless and 10 W reverse wireless charging remain, though. The Xiaomi 15 Pro offers a comprehensive camera system too, although there are upgrades and downgrades compared to theXiaomi 14 Pro.
On the one hand, Xiaomi has swapped last year’s 75 mm telephoto camera for a new 120 mm and 50 MP periscope option powered by a Sony IMX858 sensor. On the other hand, its 50 MP primary camera lacks the variable aperture support its predecessor provided. Seemingly, the underlying sensors inside its primary, ultra-wide-angle and front-facing cameras are unchanged, too.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro is exclusive to China for now. For reference, the handset starts at CNY 5,299 (~Nz $1244) with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Alternatively, the Xiaomi 15 Pro can be configured with up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage for CNY 6,699 (~Nz $1572) in its ‘Bright Silver Version’ colour option. As it stands, it remains to be seen whether the Xiaomi 15 Pro will receive a global release.
Xiaomi’s next flagship smartphones will be joined by a whole host of other devices. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi continues to tease its first Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphones before their release early next week. While the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are not ready for primetime just yet, many details about both devices have been posted on social media.
Xiaomi is only a few days away from unveiling the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro. While many smartphone manufacturers would confirm a release date and leave it at, Xiaomi operates in a different manner. As with its recent Redmi Note 14 series release, it continues to share promotional materials for both of its forthcoming flagships on Chinese social media.
To recap, the company shared official renders of both devices earlier this week. Now, Xiaomi has confirmed a few details about the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro while also sharing alleged camera samples taken with both devices. Unsurprisingly, the company advertises the pair as utilising Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, although that much was already known.
Moreover, Xiaomi hopes that its new HyperCore architecture will help the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro surpass its previous flagships like the Xiaomi 14 not just in terms of speed but also in terms of efficiency. Specifically, the company reports that this new architecture will improve app launch speeds and efficiency by up to 45% and 52%, respectively.
Similarly, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are said to boast longer battery life, with 23% longer runtimes than its predecessor for the former and 38% for the latter. For reference, Xiaomi has only confirmed the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s battery capacity so far, which will sit at an impressive 6,100 mAh. On top of that, the company has installed a reputedly exclusive M9 AMOLED display that will deliver a native 2K resolution with full DC dimming and up to 3,200 nits peak brightness.
Meanwhile, a 5x periscope telephoto is headed to the Xiaomi 15 Pro, too. Allegedly, this new camera boasts 10x lossless digital zoom capabilities thanks to Xiaomi’s computational photography algorithm (AISP 2.0). As ever, we would recommend waiting for independent reviews to land before passing judgement in this regard. Unfortunately, it seems that the Xiaomi 15 completely misses out on this new telephoto camera.
Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in a box, sitting on a tropical beach Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Elite platform with Oryon CPU and much-improved power efficiency – here’s why I’m not thrilled At its annual Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Qualcomm finally put to bed the discussion about what its new flagship chipset will be called by unveiling the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This new smartphone System on Chip (SoC) has plenty of flashy features and impressive benchmarks to talk about, which I’ll get into below, but my first reaction was to think back to 2021.
A little under three years ago, I was covering the latest chipset from Qualcomm and discussing its new name. It was the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, heralding a new naming system that was designed to demonstrate a clear hierarchy among Qualcomm’s increasingly cluttered lineup of mobile platforms. Things looked good when it was succeeded by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and then Gen 3, but somewhere in the mix, the message of clarity was lost, with the likes of the 7s Gen 2 and 8 Plus Gen 3 muddying the waters.
And now we have the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which could either be a grand finale for the 8-series ahead of the Snapdragon 9 Gen 1 launching next year, or yet another tier in the increasingly convoluted Snapdragon family. Before we get too into the weeds with my concerns, let’s go over what exactly the Snapdragon 8 Elite is and what new features it brings to the table.
Snapdragon 8 Elite: What’s new? The Snapdragon 8 Elite appears to just be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 by another name. It’s a top-of-the-line flagship mobile chipset that will likely be the most sought-after platform for many of the biggest phones of 2025. The name change is no coincidence, either, as it uses a version of the Oryon CPU that features in the Snapdragon X Elite PC platform.
The Adreno GPU is also getting an upgrade, with a new sliced architecture, 12MB of local memory and, in a first for mobile, support for the Unreal Engine 5.3 and the Nanite Virtualized Geometry system. According to Qualcomm, the new GPU will deliver performance up to 40% better than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with 35% improvements to ray-tracing and up to 40% better power efficiency.
Rounding out the chipset is the improved Hexagon NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which handles all things AI. This upgraded NPU is said to deliver 45% improvements to both performance and performance per watt, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, making the multimodal Gen AI more adept and efficient at addressing your queries. Qualcomm’s AI engine can also now accept much longer token inputs – examples used were entire book chapters or technical documents – allowing it to digest more complex tasks.
The AI upgrades carry over to photography, too, with the AI Image Signal Processing (AI-ISP) capable of “limitless” segmentation, splitting images into over 250 separate layers (that still sounds to me like there’s a limit…) and adjusting each one individually. It also claims to be able to capture and replicate natural skin tones in even the most challenging conditions – though we’ll have to see how that pans out when we test phones that run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Speaking of which…
Snapdragon 8 Elite: What phones will use it? As part of the announcement, Qualcomm teased several manufacturers that would soon be incorporating the Snapdragon 8 Elite in their upcoming smartphones. Brands such as Honor, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Samsung and Xiaomi are all poised to release devices powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite in the “coming weeks”. Unless certain release schedules are drastically different to previous years, weeks might be a stretch, but here are a few that we will likely see within the next few months.
Honor Magic 7 series – This one is dead cert because Honor took the stage at the Snapdragon Summit to announce that its upcoming Honor Magic 7 series will make use of the 8 Elite. The follow-up to the Honor Magic 6 Pro is launching in China on October 30th.
OnePlus 13 – The OnePlus 13 has long been rumoured to be the first phone to use 8 Elite but Honor has beaten it by a single day. The OnePlus 13 has a launch set for Halloween, and once again you can expect it to come to the NZ in the first couple of months of 2025 – the OnePlus 12 arrived in late December, for reference.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – In the past, Samsung has used Snapdragon for all of its S-series flagships, but this past year, only the Galaxy S24 Ultra used it, so it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do next year. Either way, the S25 Ultra is all but certain, and this will likely launch towards the end of January 2025.
Xiaomi 15 series – While rumours have it launching in China as soon as 23 October.Last year, the Xiaomi 14 launched in Europe at the end of February, so we can expect the 15-series to follow a similar schedule in 2025.
Snapdragon 8 Elite: What’s the problem?
The fact that the Snapdragon 8 Elite exists is not a problem – it’s a natural upgrade to the 8 Gen 3 and has plenty of exciting features that could make next year’s flagships formidable in both the performance and power efficiency stakes. My issue is that Qualcomm’s attempts to keep naming simplified – to a point where a layperson could easily parse the lineup and quickly understand whether a chipset was better or worse than those around it – have been abandoned in less than three years.
It’s messy enough right now but I’m wondering what’s going to happen next year. Will we see a Snapdragon 9 Gen 1 join the fray? Or will it be Snapdragon 9 Elite, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 or Snapdragon 8 Plus Elite? Will we see a slightly underclocked Snapdragon 8s Elite? It’s exhausting even thinking about it.
Admittedly, this likely won’t be much of a problem for a lot of people, as not everyone pays close attention to exactly what chipset is tucked away inside their new phone, but I still find this kind of obfuscating setup to be inherently anti-consumer. When the options are so chaotically laid out, how is anybody supposed to easily assess them and make an informed decision?
Regardless of my feelings on the Snapdragon naming systems, I’ll be getting my hands on all of the above-mentioned devices soon, so be sure to check back in then to see if Qualcomm’s claims about the Snapdragon 8 Elite hold up.
A new leak has revealed the alleged launch date for the Xiaomi 15 series. Reportedly, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro will arrive in under a week’s time with Hyper OS 2.0 to boot.
The Xiaomi 15 series may be official in under a week’s time. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi has had a rather busy week regarding the Xiaomi 15 series, even if it has not revealed any specifics about its forthcoming flagships yet. To recap, the company confirmed during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit that the Xiaomi 15 series would be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Following that, it began accepting reservations for the series in China, albeit without revealing full pricing or even a launch date. However, it seems that the latter may now be official, assuming recent reports are accurate.
Specifically, an official-looking poster is now floating around online that the likes of SmartPrix and Xiaomi Time have reposted citing the Xiaomi Community App as its source. Based on the image contained within the image, it would appear that the Xiaomi 15 will debut on October 29 at 11:00 UTC (19:00 CST).
Moreover, Xiaomi’s ‘see every light’ event is also slated to showcase HyperOS 2.0, which will likely come pre-installed on the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro at launch. Unfortunately, we cannot find the original image within the Xiaomi Community App at this stage. Thus, it remains to be seen whether it is accurate or an elaborate fake.
Android fans have a lot to look forward to in 2025
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) and Honor Magic 7 Pro (right) (Image credit: Future / Honor) Qualcomm debuted its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset at Snapdragon Summit 2024, and various phone makers have since come forward to confirm that their upcoming flagships will be powered by the all-new (and all-powerful) mobile platform. Qualcomm flew TechRadar to Hawaii and hosted us at the Snapdragon Summit to hear all of the latest news.
Both Xiaomi and Honor joined Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on stage in Hawaii to announce that the Xiaomi 15 and Honor Magic 7 series, respectively, will launch this month (likely in China) with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
Asus, too, confirmed that the upcoming Asus ROG Phone 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and Samsung mobile chief TM Roh also appeared at Snapdragon Summit to reaffirm his company’s ongoing partnership with Qualcomm. Roh didn’t mention the Samsung Galaxy S25 series by name, but you can bet your house that the best Samsung phones we see in 2025 will come packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite (disclaimer: that’s not serious financial advice).
Xiaomi SVP Adam Zeng announcing the Xiaomi 15 on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Future)
Honor CMO Ray Guo announcing the Honor Magic 7 Pro on stage at Snapdragon Summit(Image credit: Honor)
In other words, it’s highly likely that many of next year’s best Android phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series being the first of that number to ship in the US, UK, and Australia (we’re anticipating a January release date). Those aforementioned models from Xiaomi, Honor, and OnePlus will presumably debut in China first, before launching internationally at a later date in 2025.
As for how the Snapdragon 8 Elite stacks up against its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it’s the first Snapdragon mobile chipset to feature Qualcomm’s second-generation Oryon CPU, and has been designed to “handle the complexities of multi-modal AI” much more efficiently.
Any phones equipped with Qualcomm’s latest chipset will deliver faster app launches, more seamless multitasking, and more powerful generative AI capabilities than their Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped predecessors, and mobile gamers, too, will benefit from sharper images, smoother gameplay, and longer gameplay sessions thanks to the 8 Elite’s improved Adreno GPU.
