 "Android Smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset in India in 2025")
Mobile processors or SoC (system on a chip) have been getting more powerful year after year, and at the forefront of this evolution have been Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series chips. And we are not just talking about gaming performance. Beyond gaming, this extra muscle power helps in processing higher resolution images faster, lets you edit videos on your phones and even perform complex AI operations on the fly without breaking a sweat.
The latest and the most powerful of the lot at the moment is the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. Without getting technical about its components and circuitry, one can safely say that the Elite delivers a big jump in performance as compared to its predecessor, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which itself is still quite a powerful chip. And this jump cannot just be termed as evolutionary. With AI looking to get mainstream on mobile devices, the extra processing power is most welcome.
As one expects, this flagship Qualcomm chip is found in flagship phones from various brands. The good part being, you don’t need to spend a king’s ransom to own one in India. You get options from various popular brands with a variety of features and storage capacities to choose from, and most of them are available for purchase for a five digit sum. Here are all the phones in India at the moment powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC.
Samsung Galaxy S25 series
Let’s start with the premium-most of the lot, Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 series that comprises the S25, S25+ and the S25 Ultra. To be honest, there aren’t any major changes from the S24 series barring a couple - new AI features and of course, the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip taking centre stage in these devices. Everything else like the reliable cameras and the displays have been ported to the new generation from its predecessors.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFor the record, the photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ consists of three cameras at the back comprising a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. You also get a 12MP front camera with PDAF for selfies and video calls. Needless to say, the camera performance is best in class and can record videos in up to 8K resolution.
The ultimate Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S25 Ultra sees a few more changes in comparison to the S24 Ultra, starting with a slimmer and lighter body despite a slightly larger display. The other notable change being the ultra-wide camera that has been upgraded from a 12MP unit to 50MP here. Being an Ultra, you also have the S Pen and the additional versatility it brings along. All the Samsung S25 series phones run Android 15 with One UI 7, with the company promising 7 more years of OS and security updates, which is great.
Samsung Galaxy S25 price in India: Rs 80,999 onwards
Samsung Galaxy S25+ price in India: Rs 99,999 onwards
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price in India: Rs 1,29,999 onwards
OnePlus 13
The OnePlus flagship is another excellent option powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. While the OnePlus 13 continues with the OnePlus 11/12 design language with the circular camera island at the back, the company has made the phone slimmer and lighter and added IP68/IP69 ingress protection. You get a large 6.82-inch QHD+ LTPO4 AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 4500 nits, 120 Hz variable refresh rate and compliance with Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It is protected by a layer of Ceramic Guard glass.
The camera department is quite impressive and packed with three 50MP cameras at the back. The primary module is fitted with a Sony LYT-808 sensor and supports OIS. The support cast has a 50MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus that also doubles up as a macro camera and a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS that provides 3X optical zoom. Hasselblad colour tuning and portrait tricks are also available. You also get a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls.
The OnePlus 13 has a massive 6000 mAh battery that keeps it running for close to two days of moderate use and supports 100W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging. The phone runs the latest OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15 with four major Android updates to follow. The pricing of this device is a lot more reasonable than the Samsungs above.
OnePlus 13 price in India: Rs 69,998 onwards
Xiaomi 15 series
You may have to wait for a few more days to get your hands on the Xiaomi 15 series phones but you can pre-book them now. You can score the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra for under 60K and Rs 99,999 respectively with the launch offers. Both phones are packed to the brim with flagship-grade features, starting with the processor - you know which. Both phones offer 512 GB internal storage, 90W fast wired charging, fast wireless charging, IP68 ingress protection and run Android 15 with HyperOS 2.0 with four major Android updates promised.
The Xiaomi 15 is the more compact of the two devices with a 6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2670 x 1200 pixels, while the Ultra has a larger 6.73-inch screen with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. Both 12-bit displays have 3200 nits peak brightness, 120 Hz refresh rate and are compliant with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Xiaomi 15 has three 50MP cameras at the back - main, telephoto and ultra-wide, while the Xiaomi 15 Ultra adds an additional 200MP periscope telephoto camera for zooming in further.
Xiaomi 15 price in India: Rs 64,999
Xiaomi 15 Ultra price in India: Rs 1,09,999
Realme GT 7 Pro
We now move on to even more affordable phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, starting with the current Realme flagship. Despite its aggressive price tag, the Realme GT 7 Pro does not skimp on features or performance. It flaunts a 6.78-inch QHD+ 10-bit LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 6500 nits of peak brightness. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i.
This rugged phone flaunts an IP69 rated ingress protection that allows you to do underwater photography as well. On the topic of photography, the camera department here consists of two 50MP cameras at the back (primary and telephoto with 3X optical zoom), both with OIS, and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter. The phone lets you record videos at up to 8K resolution. The 16MP front camera does a decent job with selfies and video calls.
A large 5800 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to two days of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger juices it up fully in under 40 minutes. The Realme GT 7 Pro too runs the latest Android 15 out of the box with Realme UI 6.0, and the company has committed at least three major OS and four years of security updates going ahead.
Realme GT 7 Pro price in India: Rs 54,999 onwards
iQOO 13 5G
The iQOO 13 5G is another affordable yet loaded smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. This phone has a 10-bit 6.82-inch QHD+ HDR10+ compliant LTPO AMOLED display with 144 Hz refresh rate and 4500 nits peak brightness. It is fitted with a large 6000 mAh battery that can last up to two days of moderate use, and the bundled 120W charger promises to juice it up fully in just half an hour. The phone runs Android 15 currently with the company promising four major OS updates for this device over time.
Rear camera department on the iQOO 13 5G flaunts three 50MP units. It is helmed by a 50MP primary camera with OIS, and accompanied by a 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus that provides macro photography capabilities too. The third 50MP unit has a telephoto lens with OIS that provides 2X optical zoom and is useful for portrait photography as well. The 32MP front camera does an impressive job with selfies and video calls.
iQOO 13 5G price in India: Rs 54,999 onwards
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