List of Phones Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and Snapdragon 855 Plus Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and Snapdragon 855 Plus are the latest mobile platforms and they are powering all Android flagship devices in 2019. We’re going to check out all the new features and the list of phones powered by these new processors.

Features

Last year, the Snapdragon 845 was inferior as compared to the Apple’s A12 Bionic chip. Therefore, the Snapdragon 855 is Qualcomm’s endeavor to catch up with Apple. They even promised that the new Snapdragon could achieve twice the performance of the 7nm chip from Apple. This year, Qualcomm has moved from Samsung’s 10nm semiconductor manufacturing process to TSMC’s 7nm process, which leads to smaller chips and lower power consumption.

The CPU of the Snapdragon SoC is semi-custom ARM Cortex – Kryo 485 which includes 1x 2.84GHz (Cortex A76), 3x 2.42GHz (Cortex A76), and 4x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55) cores. The new CPU design provides up to a 45% uplift in performance. Besides, the new Adreno 640 GPU also delivers up to 20% faster graphics performance.

Another notable improvement is the Qualcomm Hexagon 690 DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that will boost performance and power efficiency for 5G, AI and XR (VR and AR). They stated that the AI performance is 3x greater than its predecessor’s. The ISP (Image Signal Processor) is also faster; It supports 4K HDR video recording with Portrait Mode and HDR10+. Notably, it is the first mobile platform to support HDR10+, 120fps 4K, and 8K 360-degree VR/XR video playback.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 is also the first mobile platform supporting multi-gigabit 5G, however, it is not integrated into the SoC. The chip has LTE onboard but 5G devices will need to be equipped with the extra Snapdragon X50 modem. The modem supports both Sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequency bands.

The Snapdragon 855 Plus (855+) is a mid-cycle upgrade with almost the same features as the 855. The only difference is the higher clock speeds of CPU and GPU. Specifically, the Kryo 485 CPU is clocked at up to 2.96GHz in the 855 Plus versus 2.84GHz in the older version; The Adreno 640 GPU’s performance is also boosted by 15%. The overclocked chipset is supposed to deliver higher performance for demanding tasks like gaming or AI processing.

Read also: All New Smartphones with Snapdragon 865 SoC

List of Smartphones with Snapdragon 855

1. Samsung Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 Plus, and S10 5G

Samsung’s devices might not be the first ones debuted with new Snapdragon processors but they are always the first ones released to the public all over the world.

Samsung introduced 4 different versions of Galaxy S10 during the Unpacked event in late February 2019. This year, we have the Galaxy S10, S10e, S10 Plus, and S10 5G with screen sizes ranging from 5.8 to 6.7 inches. They all have interesting features like the Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ certification, Wireless PowerShare, Android 9 Pie with Samsung One UI, Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 support, and either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 processor

Notably, the S10 and S10 Plus have 3 cameras on the back, including a primary 12MP sensor, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a new 16MP ultra-wide lens. The S10 5G is even equipped with an additional 3D depth-sensing camera for better photography and AR applications. Other impressive specs are the 1TB base storage, 12GB RAM, and 4,100 mAh on the Galaxy S10 Plus.

The base prices for off-contract phones are $749, $899, and $999 for the S10e, S10, and S10 Plus respectively. They start hitting stores in March 2019.

2. Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung Galaxy S10 was not the most exciting launch this year. The new Samsung Galaxy Fold stole all the attention with a foldable display that could transform from a 4.6-inch smartphone to a tablet with a 7.3-inch screen.

The phone/tablet hybrid features a hinge system with multiple interlocking gears, a 4.6-inch, HD+ Super AMOLED outer display, and a 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED inner Infinity Flex display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor, 512GB of internal storage, 12GB RAM, and a 4,380mAh battery.

The starting price of the Galaxy Fold is $1,980 and it is released in April 2019.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Note 10 Plus, Note 10 5G, Note 10 Plus 5G

Samsung announced two new versions of the new Galaxy Note 10 series in August 2019. The Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are upgraded with the new Exynos 9825 SoC but they feature the same Snapdragon 855 Soc in the United States. They both have big displays with screen sizes of 6.3″ and 6.8″ but the Note 10 Plus has higher resolution at 3040 x 1440 pixels. The Note 10 Plus also has more RAM (12GB vs 8GB), higher maximum storage capacity (512GB vs 256GB) with microSD expansion, and bigger battery (4,300mAh vs 3,500mAh).

The duo sports three cameras on the back including a wide, regular, and telephoto lens; Besides, Samsung adds a time-of-flight camera to the Note 10 Plus, it is called the DepthVision camera to take 3D scans of objects. The S Pen becomes a lot more useful as we can use it as a remote and it is now packed with a gyroscope and accelerometer for motion controls.

Pricing of the Note 10 and Note 10 Plus starts from $949 on Amazon.

4. Sony Xperia 1

Sony has ditched the XZ branding completely, so we won’t have an Xperia XZ4. Instead, Sony Mobile started a new beginning with the Sony Xperia 1. They redesigned their flagship phones, so we no longer see outdated designs with large bezels.

The Xperia 1 is the world’s first smartphone equipped with a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display, moreover, it boasts a 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio and Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound. All of them are built to deliver the best movie experience ever on a smartphone.

Other specs include 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of built-in storage, Snapdragon 855, triple rear camera setup, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and IP68 rating for water resistance. It is priced at $949 for the unlocked version.

5. Xiaomi Mi 9

Xiaomi launched the Mi 9 in February 2019. This is their first smartphone coming with triple rear cameras and the main camera uses the latest 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2 sensor. The Mi 9 manages to take better photos than iPhone XS Max in almost all situations.

In terms of specs, the Mi 9 features 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage, a 6.39-inch FHD+ (1080×2340) AMOLED display, and a 3,300mAh battery. It is available in Piano Black, Ocean Blue and Lavender Violet color options. Pricing starts at $359 on GearBest or $395 on Amazon.

6. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

The Mi Mix 3 5G is almost the same phone as the Mi Mix 3 released last year. It sports the same slider design, 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of storage, a 6.39-inch OLED display, a dual rear camera setup, a dual front camera setup, a rear fingerprint scanner, and a dedicated Google Assistant key.

However, there are some important internal upgrades including the Snapdragon 855 SoC, a Qualcomm X50 modem for 5G connectivity, and a larger 3,800mAh battery.

The Mi Mix 3 5G launches in Europe for €599 ($680) in May 2019.

7. LG G8 ThinQ

The LG G8 ThinQ was introduced in February 2019 with some standout technologies. Firstly, it has a Z Camera which is a time-of-flight (ToF) camera for depth detection; It can be used for 3D facial recognition, a suite of Air Motion gestures without touching the phone, and unlock the phone by scanning the veins in your hand. Secondly, it has a Crystal Sound OLED which will vibrate the surface of the glass to generate audio.

Other specs are similar to other phones; It features 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a 3,500mAh battery, a dual/triple rear camera setup, a Hi-Fi Quad DAC, and a fingerprint sensor on the back. Pricing in the US starts from $639.

8. LG V50 ThinQ

The LG V50 ThinQ was unveiled in February 2019 and it is the first 5G device coming from LG. This is still a decent phone in terms of build and hardware. It sports a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a triple rear camera setup, and a 4,000 mAh battery.

The most interesting feature of the V50 is the Dual Screen accessory which is LG’s answer to the folding phone craze. That is a case with a second display but it is not so practical to use in real life.

9. Google Pixel 4 & Pixel 4 XL

Google released the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL in October 2019. Undoubtedly, the duo is among the best camera phones on the market, competing directly with Apple iPhone 11 phones. They feature a new dual-camera setup, 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage, Snapdragon 855, and 90Hz displays. There are just a few differences between the two versions like the battery capacity (2,800 mAh and 3,700 mAh) and screen size (5.7″ FHD+ flexible OLED at 444 ppi and 6.3″ QHD+ flexible OLED at 537 ppi).

Pricing starts from $799 for the Pixel 4 and $899 for the Pixel 4 XL.

10. Xiaomi Black Shark 2

Xiaomi announced the Black Shark 2 in April 2019, 1 year after the launch of its first generation of high-end gaming smartphones. The phone can deliver a solid mobile gaming experience with powerful hardware like a 4,000 mAh battery, 27W fast-charging, a vapor chamber for a liquid cooling system, 128GB/256GB of internal storage, 6GB/8GB/12GB of RAM, and a 6.39-inch Samsung AMOLED display. Besides, it has some interesting features like a glowing logo on the back, an in-display fingerprint sensor, 48MP + 12MP dual rear cameras, and optional accessories for gamers.

The Black Shark 2 is available for the Chinese market only and pricing ranges from CNY 3,200 ($476) to CNY 4,200 ($626).

11. Lenovo Z5 Pro GT

Lenovo Z5 Pro GT is the successor of the Lenovo Z5 Pro and this is officially the world’s first smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip. Lenovo started taking pre-orders in China in January and the first customers received their phones in February 2019.

The Z5 Pro GT sports a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED display panel from Samsung, in-display fingerprint scanner, 16MP and 8MP dual front camera setup, 24MP and 16MP dual rear camera setup, 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB/512GB storage, and 3,350mAh battery. It comes in a stylish design with a near bezel-less display and a slider to hide the notch.

The Z5 Pro GT is available in China only and the base 6GB/128GB variant costs CNY 2,698 ($400).

12. iQOO

iQOO is a sub-brand of Vivo and they released a new gaming smartphone called IQOO in March 2019. Among them, the top-end iQOO Monster sports 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Notably, this phone supports 44W fast charge which means you can charge to 50% of the 4,000 mAh battery in 15 minutes and a full charge takes just 45 minutes. Besides, the IQOO comes with a 6.41-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution, a triple rear-camera setup, in-display fingerprint scanner, a vapor chamber cooling system, and two shoulder pressure-sensitive buttons on the side for gaming.

Pricing of the iQOO ranges from 2998 Yuan ($450) to 4298 Yuan ($650) for the Chinese market.

13. ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G

Announced in February 2019, Axon 10 Pro 5G is the first 5G phone from ZTE and it is launched for the European and Chinese markets in May 2019. The phone features a modern design with an edge-to-edge 6.47-inch AMOLED screen, a small teardrop-shaped notch, in-display fingerprint sensor, and a triple-sensor camera setup on the back.

Notably, it utilizes F2FS file system, Sandisk iNAND 8521 flash memory chip, 64-layer 3D NAND stacking technology, liquid cooling technology and composite phase-change thermal materials. The specs include 6GB/8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, and a 4,000mAh battery.

14. Nubia Red Magic 3

The Nubia Red Magic 3 is another gaming smartphone for the Chinese market. It features specialized hardware like an active cooling system inside the phone, a 6.65″ FHD+ 19.5:9 AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, DC Dimming and HDR, a stereo speaker setup on the front, a RGB lighting strip on the back, and two touch-sensitive shoulder buttons.

In terms of specs, it is equipped with Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, a 5,000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging, and a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor on the back.

The phone goes on sale in China in May 2019 and the starting price is CNY 2,899 (~$430).

15. Lenovo Z6 Pro

The Lenovo Z6 Pro is launched in China in April 2019. It features an in-display fingerprint sensor, a 6.39-inch AMOLED Full HD+ screen, a PC-grade Coldfront liquid cooling system, a 4,000 mAh battery, up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, and a quad rear camera setup. Pricing starts at CNY 2,899 (~$430) for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant

16. Meizu 16s

The Meizu 16s is available for sale in China in April 2019. It packs 48 MP Sony IMX586 + IMX350 dual cameras, up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, and a 3,600 mAh battery. Pricing starts from CNY 3,198 (~$475).

17. Sharp Aquos R3

Sharp announced the Aquos R3 in May 2019 and it is available exclusively in Japan. The phone still features a nearly bezeless display but there are two notches for the 16.3MP selfie camera and fingerprint scanner located on top and bottom. Other specs include 6.2-inch Pro IGZO display panel with the resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels, HDR10 support, 120Hz refresh rate, 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, a 3,200 mAh battery, and a dual camera setup on the back.

18. OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro

OnePlus finally launched the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro in May 2019. The regular version is a revamped OnePlus 6T but it is not available in North America. Both phones are equipped with Snapdragon 855 processor, the latest Oxygen OS, 6GB/8GB of RAM, and 128GB/256GB storage.

The OnePlus 7 Pro is a much more interesting device with a huge 6.67-inch 1440p curved OLED screen, 90Hz refresh rate, a front-facing camera hidden in a motorized module, up to 12GB of RAM, and three cameras on the back.

The base model of the OnePlus 7 Pro with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is available for $669 while the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $749. Besides, the 5G variant will be available soon.

19. Asus ZenFone 6

Asus announced the ZenFone 6 in May 2019 and it got some attention thanks to a compelling price point, top-notch specs, and an interesting design. The phone eliminates bezels by using a camera pop-up flipping up from the back. The camera setup includes a 48MP main camera and a 13MP wide-angle lens. Other specs are Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and a massive 5,000mAh battery.

The base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage is available for $499 in the United States. In India, the phone is rebranded to Asus 6Z due to a restrain on the sale of Zen or ZenFone-branded products.

20. OPPO Reno 10X Zoom

OPPO launched two smartphones in its new Reno series in May 2019. While the Standard version is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, the 10x Zoom version has Snapdragon 855. The Reno 10x Zoom feature a notch-less 6.6-inch OLED Full HD+ display, an in-display fingerprint sensor, a wedge-shaped pop-up selfie camera called Shark Fin module, 6GB/8GB of RAM, 128GB/256GB of storage, and 4,065 mAh battery.

The device sports a triple camera setup on the back, including a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture, a 13MP telephoto sensor with f/3.0, and a 10X hybrid zoom 8MP ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2. They work together to deliver 5X optical, 10X lossless hybrid zoom, and up to 50X digital zoom.

21. Redmi K20 Pro

Redmi, a Xiaomi’s sub-brand, released the Redmi K20 Pro in May 2019. This is among the most affordable smartphones coming with Snapdragon 855 processor. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have to sacrifice much in the hardware. The phone features a 6.39-inch FHD+ OLED display, an in-display fingerprint sensor, a front pop-up camera module with a 20MP sensor, a rear triple camera setup, a 4,000mAh battery with 27W wired charging, 6GB/8GB of RAM, and 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage.

Pricing starts from just CNY 2,499 (~$360) for the 6GB/64GB variant.

22. Samsung Galaxy A90 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A90 5G gets official in September 2019. Although this is a non-flagship device, it features the high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset with Snapdragon x50 5G modem, a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel f/2.0 primary camera, a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display, a 4,500mAh battery, 6GB/8GB RAM options, and 128GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot.

The smartphone is available in South Korea and Europe.

Some more smartphones that would be powered by Snapdragon 855 include Pocophone F2, Vivo Apex 2019, and Nubia X 5G.

List of Smartphones with Snapdragon 855 Plus

1. Asus ROG Phone II

Asus ROG Phone II is the first smartphone equipped with the Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset. The gaming smartphone has the most powerful chipset, a 48MP camera sensor, two USB-C ports, a huge 6,000mAh battery, 12GB of LPDDR4X memory, 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage, and an incredible 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Besides, Asus offers a lot of accessories like docks, cases, or gamepad.

Later in September 2019, Asus announced the new ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition with 1TB of built-in UFS 3.0 storage, an exclusive matte black finish, and Cat 20 4G LTE download speeds.

2. Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro

Xiaomi also announced the Black Shark 2 Pro in July 2019. This is another gaming smartphone and its hardware is quite similar to the Black Shark 2, except some improvements like the Snapdragon 855 Plus, the higher-speed UFS 3.0 storage, 12GB RAM, and reduced touch response time. Other specs are pretty much the same as we still have a Full HD+ (1080×2340) AMOLED panel, a 4,000mAh battery, 128/256GB of storage, and touch zones simulating physical buttons.

3. Nubia Z20

The Nubia Z20 is the new flagship from ZTE launched in August 2019. It features the Snapdragon 855 Plus, 6GB/8GB of RAM, 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage, 4,000 mAh battery, and 27W fast charging. The most interesting feature of the phone is the dual displays including a 6.42-inch Full HD+ screen on the front and a 5.1-inch display on the back. The two displays can function independently and a huge benefit is that we can use the triple camera setup on the back and the second display to take high-quality selfies.

The phone is available in China for roughly $500.

4. Meizu 16s Pro

The Meizu 16s Pro was launched in August 2019 and this is a minor upgrade from the Meizu 16s. The only differences are the new Snapdragon 855+ processor, higher touch sampling rate, and triple rear cameras. Otherwise, the specs are the same with 6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel, 6GB/8GB of RAM, up to 256GB UFS 3.0 storage, and a 3,600 mAh capacity.

The phone is available in China and pricing starts from CNY 2,699 ($376).

5. OnePlus 7T

OnePlus 7T is one of a few Snapdragon 855+ phones that are widely available in the United States. The phone get official in September 2019 and surprisingly, it has some substantial upgrades over the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro released earlier. It is equipped with a larger 6.55-inch screen with a taller 20:9 aspect ratio, 90Hz Fluid AMOLED panel, HDR10+ compatibility, higher peak brightness of 1,000 nits, a more powerful SoC, a slightly bigger 3,800mAh battery with faster charging, and all new rear triple camera setup.

The price of the OnePlus 7T is quite reasonable at $599.

6. Vivo NEX 3

The Vivo Nex 3 was released in September 2019 in 4G and 5G variants. The most interesting features are a curved OLED screen, a pop-up camera, a 64MP camera, and Snapdragon 855+ under the hood. It is only available in China and some Asian countries.

Some more smartphones that could be powered by Snapdragon 855 Plus include Realme X3 SuperZoom, vivo Nex 3, vivo iQOO Pro, Nubia Red Magic 3S, Xiaomi Mi 9S 5G.

This is a developing article, I will keep updating when new smartphones are announced officially.