Qualcomm has officially announced the Snapdragon 845 chipset. We know that it will power most of the premium Android smartphones releasing in 2018, just like most flagship phones of 2017 were powered by Snapdragon 835. Now a Chinese tipster has posted a list of 2018 phones that would be using the Snapdragon 845. Obviously, the list includes the OnePlus 6, Google Pixel 3 and Galaxy Note 9.
These 2018 phones will run Snapdragon 845
The list was posted on Weibo (via GSM Arena). It also hints at the possible release timeline of the SD845-powered handsets. The phones don’t exist right now, but they will be some of the most powerful smartphones when they hit the store shelves. The game will begin with the unveiling of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will be the first phones to feature the SD845.
LG G7 with Snapdragon 845 would also release in February, according to the Weibo post. It will be followed by Xiaomi’s Mi 7 in April and HTC U12 in May. The OnePlus 6 with SD845 will launch in June, so will the Sony Xperia XZ Pro-A and ZTE Nubia Z18. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 phablet would arrive in September. The LG V40 and Xiaomi’s Mi Max 3 will also be outed in September, suggests the Weibo post.
October is when Google will announce its Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, both of which would run the Snapdragon 845. Motorola will release Moto Z 2019 in November. Samsung is said to bring its W2019 flip phone with SD845 around the same time. The OnePlus 6T would launch in December 2018. It would probably be the last flagship phone of 2018, but not the last phone to run Snapdragon 845. The chipset could also power a few phones coming out in January or February of 2019. The list is not comprehensive, so we could see a few more phones running the SD845 next year.
This is a lot of information from a single Weibo post, but it was pretty obvious. For years, Qualcomm’s flagship chips have been running the most powerful Android phones. The Snapdragon 845 will have four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores to help deliver the maximum processing power while conserving the battery. Qualcomm claims the SD845 is 30% faster than the Snapdragon 835. It also offers about 30% better graphical performance compared to its predecessor, thanks to the new Adreno 630 GPU. The Snapdragon 845 also brings improvements to the camera, AI processing, security, and augmented reality.
Galaxy Note 9 code-named ‘Crown’
Samsung executives have confirmed that the company is already working on the Galaxy Note 9. The Korean company is said to be developing the phablet under the code-name “Crown.” The code-name represents Samsung’s ambition to retain its lead in the smartphone market amid fierce competition from Apple, Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo. According to The Bell, component suppliers will start shipping parts for the Galaxy Note 9 pilot production in the first quarter of 2018.
Executives at Samsung’s Global Product Planning Group have indicated that the S Pen stylus would get a major upgrade with the Galaxy Note 9 next year. The S Pen is one of the few things that differentiate the Note line from the Galaxy S series. Samsung is exploring ways “to improve upon signature features like the S Pen,” said BJ Kang of the company’s Global Product Planning Group.
The Galaxy Note 9 is also expected to feature an in-display fingerprint reader. Samsung has been working on the feature for years, but it has failed to bring it to the market until now. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has told investors that the Galaxy Note 9 would be Samsung’s first phone to feature an optical fingerprint reader. It will allow you to unlock the device and authenticate payments by placing your finger on the screen. Samsung is likely to source the optical fingerprint sensor from Egis, BeyondEyes or Samsung LSI.
OnePlus 6 rumored to have an optical fingerprint sensor
OnePlus has just introduced the OnePlus 5T with a bezel-less display, but the device still has thick bezels at the top and bottom. The upcoming OnePlus 6 is rumored to feature a more refined bezel-less AMOLED display. OnePlus is also expected to incorporate the in-display fingerprint reader in its upcoming flagship. Vivo has already demonstrated an optical fingerprint sensor. Vivo and OnePlus both are owned by BBK Electronics. BBK brands tend to share the design language and other technologies.
Synaptics has started mass production of the ClearID FS9500 optical fingerprint scanner for smartphones. The company has told media that it was working with one of the top five smartphone makers to bring the new sensor to the market in 2018. BBK Electronics, which owns OnePlus, is among the top five vendors.
Will Google launch three phones next year?
According to a report from Droid-Life, Google is working on three different phones for 2018. The devices are code-named crosshatch, albacore, and blueline. Two of them are premium handsets while the third one is a high-end device. If it turns out to be true, Google’s 2018 lineup will look a lot like Apple’s 2017 smartphone line. The Cupertino company launched two premium smartphones – iPhone 8 and 8 Plus – and a ridiculously expensive high-end iPhone X.
The rumor mill expects the Google Pixel 3 phones to feature improved waterproofing, fast-charging, and wireless charging capabilities. The bezel-less display has become a standard on premium phones. We expect the upcoming Pixel phones to offer bezel-less OLED screens. This year’s Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL had much thicker bezels compared to other flagship offerings.
