Snapdragon 8 Gen 4: First Phones

The highly anticipated launch of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is slated for October, marking the debut of the company's cutting-edge mobile chipset. As enthusiasts eagerly await its arrival, speculation mounts regarding the flagship smartphones poised to harness its power.

Recent leaks suggest that Xiaomi has secured an exclusive partnership with Qualcomm, granting it the privilege of unveiling the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 in its upcoming devices. As a result, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are slated to be the inaugural smartphones to showcase this groundbreaking SoC, setting the stage for a new era of mobile performance.

Xiaomi's exclusivity deal extends to the initial launch phase of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, with subsequent releases from other manufacturers scheduled to follow suit. Among the contenders vying for the spotlight are the OnePlus 13 and the iQOO 13, with their unveiling expected to occur after Xiaomi's flagship offerings.

While the exact sequence of releases may vary, historical trends suggest these brands as frontrunners in adopting Qualcomm's latest technology. Notably, predecessors like the OnePlus 12, iQOO 12, Xiaomi 14, and Xiaomi 14 Pro were among the pioneers to embrace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 upon their debut in the Chinese market.

However, it's worth noting that global launches for the Xiaomi 15, OnePlus 13, and iQOO 13 may lag behind their Chinese counterparts by several weeks, a customary practice in the industry. Additionally, the absence of a global release for the Xiaomi 14 Pro raises the possibility of a similar scenario for its successor, underscoring the nuances of market dynamics and regional strategies.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 early leaks

Turning to the early specifications of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, anticipation builds around its formidable performance capabilities. Initial reports suggested a configuration featuring six performance cores (Phoenix M) clocked at a maximum of 2.4 GHz, alongside two efficiency cores (Phoenix L) operating at 1.939 GHz.

However, discussions have arisen regarding the feasibility of achieving the coveted 4.2 GHz clock speed, with concerns raised over potential trade-offs in voltage and power consumption. It remains likely that Qualcomm will fine-tune clock speeds to maintain optimal thermal performance.

In contrast, competitors like the soon-to-be-announced Dimensity 9300+ from MediaTek are anticipated to offer performance gains through enhanced Instructions Per Clock (IPC) rather than raw clock speeds. With the Cortex-X4 core limited to 3.4 GHz, prospects for reaching the 4.2 GHz threshold seem remote for the upcoming Dimensity 9400 and Exynos 2500, highlighting the diverse strategies employed by chipset manufacturers to achieve performance benchmarks.