List of Smartphones with Snapdragon 865 (Regularly Updated)
Feb. 28, 2020In the Android world, there is no denial that Snapdragon chipsets arebetter than Exynos, Kirin orMediaTek SoCsin almost every aspect. Be it battery efficiency, graphics performance, or mobile connectivity — Qualcomm surpasses almost all the chipmakers and is only slightly behindApple’s A-series chips. Qualcomm also has a solid modem business and that’s what makes this chip manufacturer distinct from others. In December last year, Qualcomm announced its flagship SoC Snapdragon 865 and the headline feature was predictably 5G connectivity. In addition, the Snapdragon 865 has seen almost 25%performance jump from the last-gen 855 SoC. So if you are someone who wants a top-tier smartphone with Snapdragon 865 then go through our list below.
Snapdragon 865 Smartphones You Can Buy Right Now
Buy from Flipkart:Starts at ₹37,999
Just after the day Realme launched the X50 Pro, iQOO unveiled its flagship smartphone,iQOO 3that packs the latest Snapdragon 865 by Qualcomm. However, iQOO has announced two variants of iQOO 3: one with 5G capability and another one without 5G support. Since 5G is not ready in India and will take at least two years to deploy the infrastructure,the non-5G variant is a far better valuefor money given that it’s much cheaper as well. So if you are looking for a Snapdragon 865 phone then iQOO 3 has you covered with both 5G and non-5G variants.
If you are from the US and looking for the best Snapdragon 865 phone then I would recommend the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. Unlike the global variant that comes with Samsung’s homegrown Exynos chip,in the US, the Galaxy S20 series packs the Qualcomm processordue to patent issues. In addition, you will get 5G support on all the S20 variants and that is powered by Qualcomm’s X55 5G modem which is much better than Exynos’ 5123. Simply put, the Galaxy S20 series with Snapdragon 865 is a beastly combination and you simply can’t go wrong with it.
Buy from Samsung:Starts at $999
Just after Samsung’s launch, Xiaomi released its flagship duoMi 10 and Mi 10 Proand both the devices come with Snapdragon 865. The duo has anAMOLED panel with a punch-hole display, 5G support, 108MP quad-cameras,and huge battery packs. On top of that, you also get a 90Hz refresh rate display so that is awesome. Having said that, it’s unlikely you will get Mi 10 in India, but if you are from China or Europe, you can easily grab this Snapdragon 865 phone.
Check Out the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro
While everyone seems to have written off Sony, the company is still releasing flagship-grade smartphones with top-of-the-line specs. Recently, Sony unveiled itsXperia 1 Mark IIand it’s powered by the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset from Qualcomm. Do note that Xperia 1 II is alsoSony’s first 5G smartphoneand it includes Qualcomm’s X55 modem. The chipset is accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and it will be available for order this Spring starting in Europe.
Check Out the Xperia 1 Mark II
With major smartphone makers like Samsung and Xiaomi releasing their flagship smartphones in February, LG couldn’t delay further and unveiled the V60 ThinQ. It goes without saying that theV series is LG’s flagship lineupso it comes with the latest and most powerful processor, the Snapdragon 865 by Qualcomm. Other than that, the smartphone also has support for 5G and is backward compatible with other legacy networks as well including 4G, 3G, and 2G. Further, you can make it a dual-screen device using the foldable case.
Check Out the LG V60 ThinQ
Axon 10s Pro by ZTE is another Snapdragon 865 smartphone thatyou can buy in the US. Similar to other flagship phones, Axos 10s Pro brings 5G support and is packed with Qualcomm’s Adreno 650 GPU for powerful graphics performance. The smartphone also packs a 48MP image sensor, 4000mAh battery, up to 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Not to mention, you also get a microSD card slot for expandable memory just like Samsung devices.
Check Out the ZTE Axon 10s Pro
If you are from Japan then Sharp has you covered with a Snapdragon 865 phone. The company recently introduced its latest flagship, the Aquos R5G. It packs the octa-core Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G on board. Since it’s Sharp, the 6.5-inch screen seems pretty good in QHD+ resolution. In addition, the Sharp Aquos R5G also brings 120Hz refresh rate display which is commendable. So if you want a flagship Android smartphone with the 865 processor, Sharp Aquos R5G isa decent option in the Japanese market.
Check Out the Sharp Aquos R5G
After the K30 Pro, if there is another device that evokes the same level of excitement then it’s the OnePlus 8 series. As always, bothOnePlus 8 and 8 Prowill come with thelatest octa-core Snapdragon 865 SoCand it has been confirmed by Qualcomm itself. Other than that, both the devices will have a high refresh rate display supposedly 90Hz for the standard variant and 120Hz for the Pro model. Since the Adren650 GPU has gone through a lot of improvement, we expect OnePlus to strike a fine balance between high refresh rate and battery efficiency. So, if you are looking for a proper flagship that can give Samsung Galaxy S20 a run for the money then wait till late March.Images Courtesy: @OnLeaks / 91Mobiles
After Asus released Zenfone 6 and Asus 6Z in India, the company is back into the mobile business. Earlier, there were rumors that Asus will not bring flagship smartphones in India and instead will focus on gaming phones like ROG I and II. However, Qualcomm confirmed thatAsus is indeed working on a Snapdragon 865 phoneand will soon launch the device in many markets. If we go by Asus’ earlier lineup, it’s certain that you are going to get a clean stock Android experience with powerful hardware, multiple-camera system and maybe this time, a higher refresh rate display.Zenfone 6z
Oppo was all geared up to launch its flagshipFind X2at the MWC this year, but due to cancellation of the event, now the launch is moved to March 6. It goes without saying that you will get the flagship Snapdragon 865 processor packed in a huge 6.5-inch AMOLED screen. Further, the display hasa refresh rate of 120Hz in 3K resolutionwhich is simply phenomenal. If there is one thing that defines this device other than Snapdragon 865 SoC then it’s Oppo’s truly exceptional display technology. So wait till March 6 and I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
Last year, Nubia had launched itsRed Magic 3 and 3s in India and got a pretty good response from the mobile gaming community. On similar lines, we are expecting that the new Nubia Red Magic 5G will also come to India with all the bells and whistles. In its report, Qualcomm confirmed thatNubia Red Magic 5G is being developed on the Snapdragon 865 platformand it will launch soon since the device has passed theTENAA certification. Other than that, Nubia Red Magic 5G will be packing a 144Hz display which is excellent. So if you are a mobile gamer and want a gaming flagship with top-notch 865 processor then wait for a month or two for Nubia’s official launch.
After a considerable success of ROG Phone I and II in India, Asus is set to unveil the third successor ROG Phone in the next few months. And unsurprisingly,it’s equipped with the Snapdragon 865 processorwhich got confirmed by Qualcomm itself. Rumors also suggest thatGoogle Stadia will come pre-loaded on Asus ROG Phone 3so that is quite exciting for mobile gamers. Not to mention, the ROG Phone 3 will have a 120Hz refresh rate display just like its predecessors. Further, Asus will also introduce a slew of gaming accessories so that is great. To conclude, if you want a gaming phone, we recommend you to wait till early May and then decide between ROG Phone 3 and Nubia Red Magic 5G.ROG Phone II
The Black Shark 3 is finally being launched on March 3 and it does come with the latest and powerful Snapdragon 865 SoC by Qualcomm. In fact,AnTuTu revealedthat Black Shark 3 is, by farthe most powerful 865 phoneas it broke all previous records on the benchmarking app– surpassing the Realme X50 Pro and iQOO 3. In addition, it comes with 12GB of RAM, 512GB of internal storage and a 120Hz refresh rate display with 3120×1440 pixel resolution. So from all aspects, Black Shark 3 seems a solid device, but it might just be limited to China and perhaps Europe only.
Smartphone makers have been creating sub-brands to project gaming-centric phones which include Black Shark by Xiaomi, ROG phone by Asus, Nubia by ZTE and so on. To tap this market, Lenovo is also launching the first gaming flagship under its Legion brand. And as expected, the device ispowered by the Snapdragon 865 SoCand comes with a host of new features and optimizations. Further, it’s rumored thatLenovo Legion phonewill have faster charging over 55W which is simply crazy. Currently, the Realme X50 Pro holds the position of fastest charging smartphone with a 65W power rating. All in all, it’s going to be interesting to see how Lenovo shapes the Legion brand in the smartphone world with Snapdragon 865 on its back.
While Sony unveiled the Xperia 1 Mark II, it also hinted at a possibleXperia Prothat is going to launch in the next few months. And similar to Mark II, it will come with the Snapdragon 865 SoC and Qualcomm’s X55 5G modem. The main difference between the two devices is thatXperia Pro will have support for both mmWave 5G and sub-6GHz 5G networks. On the other hand, Mark II is limited to just sub-6GHz 5G networks. In essence, the Xperia Pro will be the first device by Sony which will have support for real 5G networks. However, keep in mind, mmWave network is scarce at this point even in the US and 5G-ready regions. Nevertheless, if you want support for complete 5G bands, you can get the Sony Xperia Pro in the coming months.
So that is our comprehensive list of smartphones with Snapdragon 865 onboard. After Qualcomm’s event in December, now we are seeing a high number of smartphone launches with the 865 SoC and it’s only going to increase in the coming months. If you want a top-tier smartphone, I would recommend you to wait till March or April as OnePlus and Redmi are going to unveil their flagship phones somewhere in the middle. Anyway, that is all from us. We will be continuously updating the list so stay tuned with us as we will keep updating the list with more Snapdragon 865 phones.
Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.
