The three-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has suddenly become a popular choice for high-end smartphones, and we all know the reason — the rapidly rising cost of essential components such as DRAM and NAND storage. The situation is expected to only worsen in the near future, and so now might be the right time to purchase a smartphone.
With so many options out there, it can be tough to pick the best Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phone for you. So, we’ve scaled down the list to five of the best smartphones you may want to consider.
Top 5 smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Galaxy S24 Ultra (review) is one of the best smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor for most people. It features a 6.8-inch high-quality AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, 2600 nits of peak brightness, and tough Gorilla Armor protection.
Software support is a big plus for the S24 Ultra, as it promises seven Android OS upgrades, up to Android 21. The smartphone also offers a high-end rear camera setup, led by a 200MP primary camera. It also includes a 10MP 3x telephoto shooter, a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide unit. There’s a 12MP camera for selfies and video calls.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. It features an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader and robust connectivity features, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:
- Display: 6.8-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3120 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak brightness)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
- Software: Android 14, up to seven major Android upgrades
- Rear camera: 200MP (wide) + 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom) + 50MP (periscope telephoto, 5x optical zoom) + 12MP (ultrawide)
- Selfie camera: 12MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Charging: 45W (wired), 15W (wireless), 4.5W (reverse wireless)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2
2. Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (review) is a spec-heavy flagship smartphone that offers a lot of value for its price. It comes with a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and 3000 nits of peak brightness. The smartphone boots Android 14 out of the box and promises four major OS upgrades.
The Xiaomi phone offers a high-end quad-camera setup, all featuring 50MP sensors. It includes a primary lens, a 3.2x telephoto lens, a 5x periscope telephoto lens, and an ultrawide camera. The other side features a 32MP selfie camera.
A 5000mAh battery ensures the device lasts a day on normal usage, with fast charging options for quick refills, including 90W wired and 80W wireless charging. It also supports 10W reverse wireless charging to power our accessories.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra specs:
- Display: 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1440 x 3200 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits (peak brightness)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
- Software: Android 14, up to four major Android upgrades
- Rear camera: 50MP (wide) + 50MP (telephoto, 3.2x optical zoom) + 50MP (periscope telephoto, 5x optical zoom) + 50MP (ultrawide)
- Selfie camera: 32MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Charging: 90W (wired), 80W (wireless), 10W (reverse wireless)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
3. OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 (review) offers a high-end rear camera setup made in partnership with Hasselblad. It includes a 50MP primary camera, a 64MP 3x periscope telephoto lens, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. There’s a 32MP selfie camera.
The smartphone comes preinstalled with Android 14 and promises four Android OS updates. That means the OS updates will reach the end sometime next year when it receives the Android 18 update. If that’s a big concern to you, take a look at the newer OnePlus 13R.
The OnePlus 12 is built around a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and 4500 nits of peak brightness. It’s equipped with a 5400mAh battery and supports up to 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. The phone also supports 10W reverse wireless charging.
OnePlus 12 specs:
- Display: 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1440 x 3168 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 4500 nits (peak brightness)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
- Software: Android 14, up to four major Android upgrades
- Rear camera: 50MP (wide) + 64MP (periscope telephoto, 3x optical zoom) + 48MP (ultrawide)
- Selfie camera: 32MP
- Battery: 5400mAh
- Charging: 100W (wired – International), 80W (wired – USA), 50W (wireless), 10W (reverse wireless)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2
4. Honor Magic 6 Pro
The Honor Magic 6 Pro also excels in camera performance, particularly for zoom shots. The triple rear camera setup includes a 50MP primary camera, a 2.5x 180MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide unit. Plus, a 50MP selfie camera. The device boots Android 14 and promises OS updates up to Android 18.
The Honor Magic 6 Pro features a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 5000 nits of peak brightness. The battery comes in at 5600mAh with support for 80W wired and 66W wireless charging. It also supports reverse wired and reverse wireless charging.
Honor Magic 6 Pro specs:
- Display: 6.8-inch LTPO OLED, 1280 x 2800 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR, Dolby Vision, 5000 nits (peak brightness)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
- Software: Android 14, up to four major Android upgrades
- Rear camera: 50MP (wide) + 180MP (periscope telephoto, 2.5x optical zoom) + 50MP (ultrawide)
- Selfie camera: 50MP
- Battery: 5600mAh
- Charging: 80W (wired), 66W (wireless), 5W (reverse wired), reverse wireless
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2
5. RedMagic 9S Pro+
If gaming performance matters to you more than anything else, the RedMagic 9S Pro+ delivers big. It features an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, designed to deliver higher peak performance than the regular 8 Gen 3, paired with ultra-fast LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. The device has a dedicated secondary gaming chip to further optimize gaming performance.
To ensure the device remains cool during extreme gaming, there’s an active, centrifugal physical fan and a massive 10,182 sq. mm vapor chamber. The thermal paste further improves the thermal conductivity and power efficiency. The RedMagic phone features shoulder triggers, high touch sampling rate, and bypass charging mode.
The device offers a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel, a triple camera setup (50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, and a macro lens), a 16MP selfie camera, and a 5500mAh battery with 165W fast charging support.
RedMagic 9S Pro+ specs:
- Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED, 1116 x 2480 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 1600 nits (peak brightness)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
- Software: Android 14
- Rear camera: 50MP (wide) + 50MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (depth)
- Selfie camera: 16MP
- Battery: 5500mAh
- Charging: 165W (wired)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
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