The Snapdragon 820 chipset has been in the news for quite some time and at CES 2016, we saw the launch of the Letv Le Max Pro, the first smartphone running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. So here is a list of all the smartphones that we expect will be powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 820 SoC. Some of these devices have been rumoured for a while and others we think will house the SoC to be the next flagship in their respective line-up.
Samsung Galaxy S7
It is speculated that the S7 will launch in two variants – one powered by the Snapdragon 820 and the other powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 8890. In 2015, Samsung’s S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus and the Note 5 were powered by the Exynoss chipset and not the Snapdragon 810, which has a bad reputation with heating issues. The Galaxy S7 is expected to launch at MWC 2016.
LG G5/ LG G Flex 3
LG’s flagship smartphone for 2016 is also expected to launch at MWC 2016. It may be powered by the Snapdragon 820. Apart from the SoC, it is also rumoured that the smartphone will come with an all-metal unibody design.
Xiaomi Mi5
With the number of leaks and rumours surrounding the Mi5, we think Xiaomi needs to just launch the smartphone. If rumoured specifications are to be believed, then the smartphone will have the 820 SoC (obviously), a fingerprint sensor, 4GB RAM, 16 and 64GB storage options, 20MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.
LeTV Le Max Pro
The only smartphone to debut with the 820 SoC at CES 2016, Letv's Le Max Pro has Qualcomm’s Sense ID fingerprint technology, and a massive 6.33-inch display with a WQHD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. It also has a 21MP rear camera and 3400mAh battery. No pricing information of the smartphone has been announced.
Sony Xperia Z6
Sony's 2016 smartphone portfolio comprises of Xperia Z6, Z6 Compact, Z6 Plus and Z6 Ultra. It is speculated that two of the mentioned smartphones will run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 SoC, and the new smartphones will undergo a redesign, incorporating a lot more metal.
The next Windows Phone
A GFX benchmark leak revealed that the Snapdragon 820 SoC would power the next flagship Windows Phone. We have seen the launch of the Lumia 950 and 950XL in India in 2015 and the smartphones showed the ability to give users a Windows 10 desktop experience via Continuum. If Microsoft plans to take this to the nest level, they will need a powerful SoC and the Snapdragon 820 may just be Microsoft’s ideal weapon of choice.
Next Nexus smartphone
In 2015, the Nexus 6P took on flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S6, LG G4 and the Xperia Z5 giving them a run for their money. It also ran on Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 810 SoC. With Google I/O 16 weeks away, we think Google will unveil the 2016 flagship Nexus devices and we think the Snapdragon 820 SoC will power them.
Next Moto X smartphone
The name Motorola may be on its way out but Moto by Lenovo is here to stay. The Moto X is undoubtedly one of the most popular smartphones under the Moto umbrella and we think to stay abreast with the competition, the Snapdragon 820 SoC will power the device.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus has been rather quiet after the launch of the OnePlus X and we think this is the calm before the storm. The storm of course will rise in the form of the OnePlus 3. We think OnePlus is working hard to achieve the same impact the OnePlus One had on the smartphone market. To achieve this, we think the Snapdragon 820 SoC will power the upcoming OnePlus smartphone.
Next HTC One
The HTC A9 was a decent smartphone for what it offered but still received an underwhelming response when launched. We think HTC is working hard and could announce their next flagship smartphone as early as MWC 2016. Apart from the Snapdragon 820 SoC what would you like to see in HTC’s next flagship device?