14 Best Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 phones to buy in 2023

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Qualcomm announced the key details of its flagship 800 series chipset, the Snapdragon 888 at its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit. This will power most 2021 flagships, the names, and features of which are listed here.

Realme, Xiaomi, and Oppo were quick to announce that they will be racing to bring Snapdragon 888 to market. The rest of the players like Samsung were also not behind. Here we have curated a list of all the top handsets wielding the new chip.

But, before we get to the phones, let’s take a look at what silicone has to offer.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Highlights

  • The shift to a 5nm process node and the integrated X60 modem help bring in a 25% improvement in battery efficiency.
  • Snapdragon 888 is 25% faster than Snapdragon 865 that it succeeds while being 25% power efficient
  • Snapdragon 888 employs Cortex-X1 core prime core clocked at 2.84Ghz with double L1, L2 cache that can execute 33% more instructions per cycle. Other clusters include (3x) Cortex-A78 cores and (4x) Cortex-A55 cores.
  • Adreno 660 GPU is 35% faster and 20% power efficient. It supports 10-bit HDR and sub-pixel rendering.
  • Adreno 660 gets Variable Rate Shading support like recent GPUs. VRS allows shaders to work on rendering multiple pixels at a time without notable loss in quality. Game quick touch feature can reduce game latency by a significant 20%
  • Snapdragon 888 has Spectra 580 with triple-ISP and thus three-camera streams can be processed simultaneously. It can also process 10-bit HDR photos in HEIF and enable cameras to shoot 120 12-megapixel images in a second.
  • AI processing gets a big boost. With the redesigned Hexagon DSP, Snapdragon 888 can deliver 26 TOPS as compared to 15 TOPS on Snapdragon 865
  • Snapdragon X60 modem is integrated on the die. Snapdragon 888 also gets Wi-Fi 6E support. Bluetooth 5.2 with dual antennas is also supported.
  • Snapdragon 888 supports QuickCharge 5.0 which supports up to 100W charging and is compatible with USB PD 4.0.

Also Read: Why Snapdragon 865 does not have an integrated modem?

Best Snapdragon 888 phones in India

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 will be adopted by all major Android manufacturers this year. Many have already announced or confirmed their upcoming phones with the SoC.

1. OnePlus 9RT

OnePlus launched 9RT earlier in February this year. It will most likely be the last smartphone in the company’s 9 series. The smartphone comes with minor improvements to design and performance. It weighs just under 200 grams and has rounded edges to give a good in-hand feel. The in-display fingerprint sensor is lightning quick and the camera setup is decent too.

The OnePlus 9RT is powered by Snapdragon 888 chipset which gives a smooth and fast performance. The smartphone is powered by a 4500mAh battery with 65W Warp charging. It is a solid flagship device that is priced at around 42k in India.

OnePlus RT: Price in India & specs

2. Asus ROG Phone 5 series

Like always, Asus is the first brand to bring the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC to the country. This time it’s with ROG Phone 5. That’s right, the Asus ROG Phone 5 is the first Snapdragon 888 phone in India. It’s out and out of a gamer’s phone. With SD888 at the heart and a 144hz Samsung AMOLED screen at the top, you have a delightful combination at your disposal.

Asus ROG Phone 5 launched in India

Asus has loaded the ROG Phone 5 series with tons of features all developed keeping the gaming enthusiast in mind. Asus allows users to optimize hardware for gaming via armoury crate. It also has features like air triggers, Type-C port on the side for charging, 6000mAh battery, multi-antenna Wi-Fi, a quad-mic noise-cancelling array 3.5mm jack, and dual front-facing speakers.

3. Samsung Galaxy S21 series

Samsung was curiously missing from Qualcomm’s announcement slide listing its 14 OEM partners. But, anyway, the S-series has launched helming the 888 (in the North American market). All three phones viz. Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra bags the new silicone. This is coupled with LPDDR5 + UFS 3.1 memory configuration, and a sufficiently big battery (supported by a 25W fast charger).

The lower two models sport triple rear camera (12MP+12MP+64MP) setups, while the Ultra boasts a quartet consisting of a 108MP main camera and up to 100x Space Zoom capability. Other highlights include the Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz VRR displays, One UI 3.0 based on Android 11, and 5G, among other things.

4. Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G

Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G was launched in January 2022 as the successor to the hugely popular 10T Pro. Like all the recent Xiaomi launches, this one too has dropped ‘Mi’ the brand is simply called the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G. It is a solid offering at the lower end of the premium smartphone segment. It has a very basic design but makes u with its performance.

The body is made of polycarbonate and the phone features an AMOLED display with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and accurate colors. It is powered by Snapdragon 888 SoC and comes with a 120W fast charging capability. It is available in 3 colors- Celestial Magic, Moonlight White, and Meteorite Black.

Xiaomi 11T Pro: India Price & specs

5. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Mi 11 Ultra is a beast of a phone that represents the best of Xiaomi. The long list of features includes Dolby Vision support, a secondary ticker display on the back, a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP periscope zoom camera, a 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charging, and of course, Snapdragon 888 octa-core chipset.

Source: Tech Buff PH

The Mi 11 Ultra costs INR 69,999 in India, a price at which it will trade blows with premium tier-1 options including the OnePlus 9 Pro.

6. Asus 8z

Asus 8z launched in India on 28th February 2022 after a long wait. The phone claims to give a powerful performance with a compact design. It has a 5.90-inch touchscreen display with 1080×2400 pixel resolution. The dual-camera setup on the rear end has a 64MP main lens along with a 12MP ultrawide lens. Both these cameras give decent shots.

It comes with an IP68 rating and is powered by Snapdragon 888 chipset to give fast and smooth performance. It weighs 169 grams and is 8.90mm thick. There are a host of connectivity features available in 8z. The smartphone comes in Obsidian Black and Horizon Silver colors.

Asus 8z: India Price and Specs

7. Xiaomi Mi 11x Pro

Xiaomi Mi 11x Pro is the true flagship killer in Xiaomi’s lineup that offers Snapdragon 888 at an aggressive starting price of INR 39,990 and thus should be very alluring to gamers. The chipset is further paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

The Mi 11x Pro has a 120Hz AMOLED display that supports HDR10+. The primary camera on the rear is a 108MP sensor and there is a 20MP shooter on the front. The Mi 11x Pro is a reasonably slim phone that makes room for a 4520mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

Xiaomi Mi 11x Pro price and specifications

8. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

Samsung launched Galaxy Z Flip 3 in August 2021. It came out with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and is slightly cheaper than its counterpart. It has a 6.7-inch main Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Snapdragon 888 and runs games very smoothly.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a vibrant folding display with the good build quality and is easily pocketable. It comes with an IPX8 rating for water resistance which makes it suitable for everyday use. It is for those who want to make a strong style statement and comes in Cream, Lavender, and Black colorways.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: India Price & Specs

9. OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro

OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro ship with Snapdragon 888 SoC under the hood. OnePlus’ 2021 flagships pair SD888 with UFS3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. With these new phones, OnePlus started a new chapter of its partnership with Hasselblad for cameras. OnePlus has aggressively marketed its new cameras. So many are asking? Are they as good as marketed? Well, the short answer is not exactly.

Initial reviews suggest the OnePlus, packs good cameras but is not in the same league as Apple or Samsung flagships.As for camera hardware, the OnePlus 9 packs 48MP + 50MP + 2MP triple cameras at the back, while the OnePlus 9 Pro comes with 48MP + 50MP + 8MP + 2MP quad cameras.

10. Vivo X60 Pro+

Vivo has used the Snapdragon 888 SoC in its X60 Pro which comes with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It includes a 4,200mAh battery and is backed by a 55W fast charging support.

The regular X60 Pro on the other hand is powered by Snapdragon 870. The X60 Pro+ is very similar to the iQOO 7 Legend in India that is also relatively cheaper.

11. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was launched on 24th August 2021. It has a large, vibrant folding display with intuitive software for multi tasking. It has great sounding speakers and a water resistant design. It weighs 271 grams which feels heavy and features an AMOLED screen and 120Hz refresh rate.

It is powered by Snapdragon 888 SoC and supports S-Pen. Though it has an average battery life and camera quality is low, if you want to show style, this can be your choice.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: India Price & Specs

12. iQOO 9 SE

iQOO 9 SE was launched in India in March 2022. It has a polycarbonate back panel and feels premium in hand. There are two high quality stereo speakers with a 6.62-inch Super AMOLED display and 120Hz refresh rate. It has HDR10+ certification and runs Android 12.

Camera performance is decent but could have been better while battery life is long. It’s macro camera is impressive and it comes with fast charging capability.

iQOO 9 SE: India Price & Specs

13. Realme GT 2

Realme GT 2 is one of the most recently launched smartphones by the company. It came out a month after its Pro variant launched in India. The smartphone sports a6.62-inch 120Hz display and Gorilla Glass for protection. It is powered by octa-core Snapdragon 888 SoC and runs Realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12.

It weighs 198 grams and is 8.60mm thick. The design is inspired by paper and comes in 3 colors- Paper Green, Paper White and Steel Black. There is a host of connectivity options too.

Realme GT 2: India Price & Specs

14. Oppo Find X3 Pro

Oppo Find X3 Pro with Snapdragon 888 octa-core chipset has already made its debut outside India and OPPO is likely to launch it here in the country sometime in April. The X3 Pro comes with system-wide support for 10-bit colors and a new color management system that Oppo detailed at its Inno Day 2020.

Apart from that, it’s more or less the same phone as the OnePlus 9 Pro minus Hasselblad stamp on the rear camera module. Like OnePLus 9 Pro, it also features a 6.7-inch QHD+ curved-edged display on the front with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 500 nits. It is also driven by a Snapdragon 888 SoC, matted to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

List of best phones with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in India

These are some of the most popular phones with Snapdragon 888 and most of these are available in India. Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 870 are seeing wide adoption this year and are available in several phones with prices starting at around INR 30,000.

Deepak SinghDeepak Singh
Deepak has more than 8 years of experience in covering technology for several eminent publications in India. He currently leads an enthusiastic team of young writers at Smartprix and tries to uphold the highest quality standards.

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