TechPhonesAndroid PhonesThe most powerful Android phone of 2024 could come from an unexpected sourceIt’s time to start thinking about the next-gen as Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 approachesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechPhonesAndroid PhonesThe most powerful Android phone of 2024 could come from an unexpected sourceIt’s time to start thinking about the next-gen as Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 approachesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

It’s time to start thinking about the next-gen as Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 approaches

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

A photo of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

However, it will likely be launched in China first in November 2024 and won’t be available globally until 2025.

The hardware that powers many of thebest Android phonescomes from Qualcomm, and currently it’s the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that rules the roost. Announced in October 2023, it has powered theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, theOnePlus 12, and theXiaomi 14 Ultraamong other devices.

But talk is already turning to the next-gen, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 expected to be announced at Snapdragon Summit in October 2024. Exactly what advances the new hardware will bring remain to be seen, but you can expect more powerful core hardware and graphics handling, as well as greater power for dealing with AI tasks.

The first device expected to launch with this new hardware is theXiaomi15. That might come as some surprise, but Xiaomi reportedly retains exclusive rights to the first launch according to leakerYogesh Brar.

The surprise comes in the fact that although Xiaomi will be the first to announce a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 device, it probably won’t be the first phone that you’ll be able to buy.

The race to launch next-gen devices

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That leaves a window of opportunity in January 2024, which is when we’re likely to see the launch of theSamsung GalaxyS25 family – of which the S25 Ultra will possibly run on a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy hardware chip.

So, technically, the most powerful phone of 2024 will likely be the Xiaomi 15 that’s launched in November in China on that new Snapdragon hardware, but you probably won’t have the chance to buy one until 2025.

There’s another contender, however, withrumours suggestingthatOnePlusis also vying to be the first to launch on the new hardware. Again, whether Xiaomi’s exclusivity holds firm, remains to be seen.

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