With Apple's event over, attention shifts to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in Maui, scheduled for September 22 to 24. That is where the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 family, built on a 2nm process and including a higher-end Gen 6 Pro variant, is expected to be unveiled. Several Android makers have lined up launches around it, though none of the details below are officially confirmed yet.
Xiaomi 18: first in line
Multiple reports say the Xiaomi 18 series will launch in China right after the Summit keynote, with GSMArena and igeekphone pointing to September 24. Xiaomi has traditionally been the first brand to ship each new Snapdragon flagship chip. Leaks describe the Xiaomi 18 Pro with a roughly 7,000mAh battery, 100W wired charging plus wireless charging, and a continued Leica partnership that reportedly puts two 200-megapixel sensors on each model. The Pro and Pro Max are expected first, with the smaller Xiaomi 18 following in October. Notebookcheck notes a broader global launch is possible this year, unlike past China-first releases.
OnePlus 16: not in September after all
OnePlus fans will have to wait. Tipster Digital Chat Station, who earlier claimed a September launch for the OnePlus 16, now says it has moved to October, per GSMArena. Rumored specs include the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro, a 6.78-inch OLED with ultra-narrow bezels and a high refresh rate, a very large battery and 120W charging. The design is said to keep the OnePlus 15's square camera module.
Nothing is sitting this one out
There will be no Nothing Phone 4 this year. CEO Carl Pei said the Phone 3 remains good enough and that the company would not launch a flagship simply because rivals do. Instead Nothing shipped the Phone 4a and 4a Pro in March and a budget Phone 4b in July, leaving the high end to Xiaomi, OnePlus and Samsung this fall.
Expect firm prices, dates and U.S. availability once Qualcomm's keynote is done.
Photo: GSMArena (source)
