Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is set to power a new wave of flagship smartphones in 2025, promising unmatched AI performance and efficiency. Leading brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, iQOO, and Samsung are readying their top-tier devices with this cutting-edge chip, here’s every upcoming model to watch.
Xiaomi 17 Series
Xiaomi’s latest flagship line up the Xiaomi 17 series (which includes the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max) was unveiled in China in late September 2025, marking the first phones to ship with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
These 3nm-based phones run on Android 16 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3, and boast up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Both Pro models include a futuristic secondary M10 AMOLED display on the back (capable of 3,500 nits peak brightness) for widgets, selfie previews and “Post-it” note reminders.
he camera hardware is heavily upgraded: all three 17-series models use a triple 50MP Leica-tuned rear camera setup (LightHunter 950L main sensor, 50MP ultrawide, and 50MP periscope telephoto).
The 17 Pro Max stands out with a massive 6.9-inch 2K OLED screen, a very large 7,500 mAh battery (with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging), and a built-in Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip.
The smaller 17 Pro uses a 6.3-inch display and a 6,300 mAh battery (also 100W wired charging), while the standard Xiaomi 17 is a compact 6.3-inch, 120Hz phone with a 7,000 mAh battery and wireless charging.
All three run Xiaomi’s new “HyperIsland” software feature (similar to a Dynamic Island) and support HyperOS AI tools.
These phones represent Xiaomi’s cutting-edge innovations (dual screens, high-speed charging, multi-50MP cameras) around the SD 8 Elite Gen 5. There is no confirmation yet for an India release date, but reports suggest the Xiaomi 17 series could reach global markets including India by late 2025 or early 2026.
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iQOO 15
iQOO (Vivo’s performance sub-brand) is set to unveil its new flagship iQOO 15 in China on October 20, 2025, and it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
The iQOO 15’s design is striking: it features a dynamic colour-shifting back (e.g. its crimson red version shifts to a swirled pattern at angles) and a sleek metallic frame.
The display is a giant 6.85-inch Samsung Everest OLED panel with 2K resolution and a fast 144 Hz LTPO refresh rate, boasting up to 6,000 nits peak brightness (2,600 nits full-screen) thanks to Samsung’s new M14 luminescent material.
In terms of optics, leaks and teasers hint at a triple 50 MP rear camera array (50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP periscope telephoto) an official poster confirms a periscope lens for extended optical zoom.
Powering the heavy-duty experience is a 7,000 mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, along with an ultrasonic fingerprint reader and stereo speakers. iQOO has also included a “Q3” dedicated gaming co-processor for sustained performance and a large X-axis haptic motor for feedback.
This combination promises top-tier performance (Notebook Check notes iQOO claims it can break 4 million points on AnTuTu) and cutting-edge features. The iQOO 15 is one of the first SD 8 Elite Gen 5 phones to be teased for India; the company is expected to launch it in India around November 2025, following its China debut.
iQOO Neo 11
Alongside the flagship, iQOO is preparing a more affordable gaming-oriented model, the iQOO Neo 11. This mid-premium phone is also tipped to carry the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
Leaks suggest the Neo 11 will have a flat 6.8-inch 2K OLED display (likely 144 Hz) with an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and a refined build with a metal mid-frame and IP68 dust/water protection.
Power will come from a giant 7,500 mAh battery and 100W fast charging, while gaming features include iQOO’s “Monster Supercore Engine” for sustained peak performance. The emphasis on long battery life and thermal management (as in past Neo models) is clear.
Essentially a “Lite” variant of the iQOO 15, the Neo 11 should retain many high-end traits (fast charging, gaming focus) but in a slightly cheaper package. iQOO is expected to launch the Neo 11 at the same October 20 event in China, and it may reach India (where the Neo series has a following) in the months after, likely in late 2025.
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Realme GT 8 Pro
Realme’s next GT-series flagship is the GT 8 Pro, which was unveiled in China in October 2025 and is now expected to reach India very soon. It is confirmed to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform and will be Realme’s first Gen 5-equipped phone outside China.
Realme has been teasing a radical camera design for the GT 8 Pro. Notably, this phone marks Realme’s first major camera collaboration since 2019 – Realme has announced a partnership with Japanese imaging firm Ricoh for this device.
Rumors suggest the rear cameras include a 50 MP Sony LYT-700 primary sensor plus an ultra-wide, and a massive 200 MP Samsung HP5 periscope telephoto lens (likely 5× optical zoom).
The GT 8 Pro also sports a 2K resolution display (likely 6.7–6.8 inches) with high refresh rate, and a large battery to support the power-hungry chip and camera system. Realme has confirmed India launch plans: sources say the GT 8 Pro is tipped to debut in India around November 10–12, 2025, making it one of the first Indian phones with the SD 8 Elite Gen 5.
In summary, the GT 8 Pro combines the new flagship chipset with Realme’s enhanced camera tech (courtesy of Ricoh) and fast-charging battery for the premium segment.
OnePlus 15
OnePlus has officially confirmed its next flagship will be called the OnePlus 15, skipping “14” for auspicious reasons. The OnePlus 15 is all but certain to be built around the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, continuing the brand’s tradition of flagship specs. Leaks and teasers suggest the OnePlus 15 will use a flat 6.78-inch 1.5K OLED display (a bit lower res than its predecessor) with an ultra-smooth refresh rate above 120 Hz.
OnePlus has also announced that its longtime Hasselblad camera partnership has ended; instead, the 15 will debut a new in-house “DetailMax” image processing engine to boost photo quality.
Rumors indicate the OnePlus 15 will use a triple rear camera setup anchored by a 50 MP periscope telephoto sensor (85mm equivalent, f/2.8) that should deliver around 3.5× optical zoom(an improvement in zoom over the previous generation). Aside from the camera shifts, other expected upgrades include the latest UFS 4.1 storage and LPDDR5X RAM, and possibly a refreshed industrial design.
The exact launch date isn’t confirmed, but reports suggest OnePlus may unveil the 15 around November 2025. In any case, when it arrives in India and global markets, it will compete as a top-tier powerhouse with the new Qualcomm chipset at its core.
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Samsung Galaxy S26 Series
Samsung’s next Galaxy S flagship (rumoured as the S26 line up) is slated for early 2026 (likely January) and is confirmed to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in at least the high-end models.
Samsung historically splits its chips globally, but leaks say the Galaxy S26 Ultra in the USA will almost certainly pack this new Qualcomm SoC (even a special “for Galaxy” binned version).
The S26 Ultra is expected to bring design tweaks (a return of a dedicated camera island with rounded corners) and improved displays (Samsung’s own new 2K M14 OLED panel, along with a rumoured Private Display privacy mode).
Camera hardware may also see moderate upgrades: leaks suggest the Ultra will retain a 50 MP 5× telephoto lens but open the aperture wider (from f/3.4 to f/2.9) for better low-light capture.
Faster charging is in the cards too – Samsung is reportedly jumping from 45W on the S25 Ultra to 60W wired charging on the S26 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Pro and even the base S26 could potentially use the same chip, depending on regional choices, but one thing is certain: Samsung will use this new Snapdragon to deliver flagship AI and performance features.
Vivo X300 Ultra
Vivo’s upcoming X300 series (successors to the X200) was announced for China in October 2025. The line up’s flagship will be the Vivo X300 Ultra, which is expected to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
This is a departure for the X-series – the X300 and X300 Pro use MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processors, so the Ultra model would be the first Vivo X-phone to switch to a Qualcomm flagship chip. The basic X300 model has been detailed to have Zeiss optical tuning and up to 200 MP periscope camera, so the Ultra might carry similar high-end optics, possibly with additional enhancements. Vivo has teased OriginOS 6 software (moving away from Funtouch OS) on the X300 series.
The company hinted that the X300 Ultra is “coming next year” (likely early 2026) with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for maximum performance.
In short, Vivo’s X300 Ultra is shaping up as a China-focused flagship that trades the Dimensity chip for Qualcomm’s latest in exchange for AI features and improved global compatibility. (There’s no confirmation yet of an international launch; given this is a China-series phone, it may remain regional.)
OPPO Find X9 Ultra
OPPO’s Find X9 series is expected to launch soon, with the base Find X9 and X9 Pro already teased using MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chips. However, rumours indicate that OPPO plans to add a high-end Find X9 Ultra variant later, likely using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
No official specs have been revealed for the Ultra yet, but it would presumably build on the X9 Pro’s features with Qualcomm horsepower. If launched, the Find X9 Ultra would likely debut in early 2026 (maybe Q1) and could bring Samsung’s new display technology, a large battery, and a top camera setup (following OPPO’s trend). For now this remains speculative: OPPO has not confirmed any Snapdragon model, so the Find X9 Ultra will need an official announcement to be certain.
HONOR Magic 8 Series
Honor has confirmed it will launch the Magic 8 series on October 15, 2025.The Magic 8 and Magic 8 Pro flagship phones will both run Honor’s MagicOS 10 (Android-based) and feature extremely high-end specs. While Honor’s announcements focused on features like a new MagicPad tablet, leaks confirm that the Magic 8 series will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.
Rumoured specs for these phones include massive batteries (around 7,000 mAh) with ultra-fast charging, and a quad-camera array led by a 200 MP main sensor along with 50 MP wide and ultra-wide and a periscope zoom.
The Magic 8 Pro in particular has been shown with a dedicated AI-assist button and a new cyan colour finish.
Cameras are reportedly being enhanced by special sensors (such as a multispectral filter), hinting Honor’s focus on photography. Both Magic 8 handsets will debut with MagicOS 10 and will include advanced AI features; they may be Honor’s most spec’d phones yet.
These global models follow the trend of other Chinese flagships on Snapdragon Gen 5 silicon, although Honor’s current absence from India makes them mainly important for other markets.
nubia REDMAGIC 11 Pro Series
Nubia’s gaming-focused Red Magic brand has also jumped on the new chip. The company officially announced that the upcoming Red Magic 11 Pro series (expected to launch on October 17, 2025 in China ) will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
This is fitting as Red Magic often leads with the latest Qualcomm chips. As gaming phones, the Red Magic 11 Pro models are expected to pack unique features: dedicated cooling fans for extreme thermal management, high-refresh-rate AMOLED screens (likely 165 Hz), and extended RAM (possibly up to 24GB).
Although full specs are not out yet, past Red Magic phones emphasize fast charging and accessory ports (touch-sensitive trigger buttons); these will likely continue.
With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 inside and aggressive gaming design (fan cooling, “Air Trigger” sensors, etc.), the Red Magic 11 Pro phones should deliver desktop-level gaming performance in late 2025.
ASUS ROG Phone 10 Series
Asus’s ROG Phone 10 series (the successors to the 2024 ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro) is in development and will carry the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.
Leaks suggest Asus plans two models (ROG Phone 10 and 10 Pro) launching around November 2025.
These will continue ROG’s gaming innovations: improved vapor chamber cooling, ultra-high refresh-rate OLED displays (likely 144–165 Hz), and even ray-tracing support on the GPU for advanced graphics.
The ROG Phone 10 series will also retain special gaming touches like dedicated PCIe‐style expansion connectors (pogo pins) for accessories and a large symmetrical design with RGB lighting. The Pro model may offer even higher memory/storage (up to 24GB RAM and 1TB storage) and an extra telephoto camera over the base model.
In short, Asus is leveraging the new Qualcomm chip along with its ROG-brand cooling and AI-boosted gaming features to create an extreme flagship for gamers.
Each of the above devices is either already confirmed or strongly rumoured to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.
As the year closes, all these brands are racing to bring AI-powered performance, advanced camera systems, and high-refresh displays to market.
In particular, Realme’s GT 8 Pro is one of India’s first SD 8 Elite Gen 5 phones, and other popular Indian-line up brands (OnePlus, Xiaomi, iQOO, etc.) Will follow with their own launches. We’ll keep updating as official announcements roll in for the global and Indian releases of these flagship phones.