Who doesn’t know about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC? The top of the line flagship processor in the Android smartphone portfolio is something that the best of the best smartphones are offering in India. A good processor, overall better performance, improved camera capability, future-proof and highly trustable on whatever the task you throw at it.
However, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, doesn’t come cheap. As a matter of fact, one has to shell out at least INR 30,000 rupees to get a smartphone powered by this chipset. Here is the list of smartphones and that is available in India, that features Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.
FYI: The list doesn’t include the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8, as the Indian variants feature Exynos SoC, instead of Qualcomm.
OnePlus 5: The first smartphone in India to feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 was the OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5 is offered in two storage/RAM options. The 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage is priced at INR 32,999 and the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage are priced at INR 37,999. Other than that everything remains identical between the two devices.
Features: The OnePlus 5 doesn’t offer anything fancy, in fact, that device uses the same 1080p OLED panel, that was utilised in their last-gen flagship OnePlus 3 or 3T. The device offers dual-rear camera setup (16 MP + 20 MP) with features like X2 optical zoom, bokeh effect and 4K video recording capability. The electronic image stabilisation makes sure to get high-quality shake free videos and photos.
The OnePlus 5 is powered by Android Nougat with Oxygen UI on the top (light skin over the stock Android) considering the OnePlus’s history, the device is entitled to receive Android Oreo update by the end of 2017 and the Android P soon after its launch. Though the design of the OnePlus 5 resembles the iPhone 7 Plus, we don’t have anything against it.
However, to be called as a flagship killed the device misses out on a few features like there is no HDR support, no curved edges, no wireless charging capability and not to forget the missing brand value. If you are looking for a smartphone with a standard set of features and plenty of storage options without an SD card slot, go for the OnePlus 5. However, make sure that you won’t damage your device, as the after sale service offered by the company is not impressive (check at their social media feeds comments).
Nokia 8: The recently launched Nokia 8, priced at INR 36,999 is a great comeback smartphone from Nokia priced by HMD Global. The device packs all the goodness from the old-school Nokia and high-tech features that the young generation carves for.
As mentioned earlier, the device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core SoC, paired with 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64 GB onboard flash storage with a dedicated Micro SD card slot (Hybrid slot). Compare to OnePlus, the OnePlus, the Nokia 8 has a different approach for those who ask for more ram.
As the device runs on stock Android Nougat (7.1.2) with no customisations (except the camera app) the 4 GB RAM on an Android ecosystem is more than enough. In fact, in the memory multitasking challenges, the device performs as good as the 8 GB OnePlus 5 model.
Once again, this is the first comeback smartphone from Nokia (HMD Global) to offer Carl Zeiss optics. The Nokia 8 packs a dual-rear camera setup which is quite different from the OnePlus 5. The Nokia 8 is equipped with a dual (13 MP + 13 MP) RGB+ monochrome rear-facing camera with 4K video recording paired with OZO spatial 360-degree audio recording capability. The device also offers an identical 13 MP front-facing camera with a new feature called Bothi, which uses both the front and the rear-facing camera, which can be used for live streaming on social media or can be used to take portraits.
Apart from that, the device features a 5.2-inch IPD LCD screen with 2K resolution, making it the densest display available in the market. The display offers impressive brightness levels and good colour accuracy compared to the competition in the market.
As per the design is considered, unlike the OnePlus, the Nokia 8 uses its original design (similar to that of the Nokia 5) with all metal unibody and curved corners for an easy grip. So, if your main priority is to get timely Android security updates as well as the operating system updates with an overall premium build quality and a trusted brand name, then Nokia 8 is the phone to go. The device is not yet available on the market (available from October first week on Amazon India website).
Sony Xperia XZ1: The recently launched Sony Xperia XZ1 is available in Amazon Flipkart and offline retail stores for INR 46,000 making it a costliest among these three devices. The Sony Xperia XZ1 is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core SoC, paired with 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64 GB onboard flash storage with a dedicated micro SD card slot.
Like every flagship smartphone from Sony, the Xperia XZ1’s major selling point is its camera capability. The device is equipped with a 19 MP primary camera with 5-axial optical image stabilisation. This is the first smartphone to offer 960 frames per second slow motion video recording capability. The device also offers standard features like 4K video recording and 1080p video recording up t0 60 frames per second.
Just like Nokia 8, the device offers a 5.2-inch display, however, the resolution is skipped down from 2k to 1080p. However, this is one of the few devices to offer HDR mode, which can support native HRD videos on Youtube and Netflix. If you are a content creator or looking for high-end camera features, then this is the smartphone for you.
Sony has a similarly featured smartphone with a 4K display, priced at INR 57,999. The design and the camera capability remains the same on both the models with a 4K display.
HTC U11: The high-tech computers, does offer a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 powered smartphone in India, AKA, the HTC U11. The device is available from Amazon India and offline retail stores. The device is priced at INR 51,900 making the costliest smartphone amongst the list.
The HTC U11 offers 6 GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128 GB onboard flash storage, making it par with the OnePlus 5. The device also offers an additional SD card slot, which can accept micro SD card up to 256 GB.
The device also offers unique design and build quality. Unlike all the above-mentioned devices, the HTC U11 is the only device to offer all-glass build design with fancy Blue and Red colour shades. Though the device doesn’t offer anything fancy, the device offers a single 12 MP main camera with highest DxOMark 90 score (currently beaten by iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus camera).
Conclusion: We haven’t mentioned few features like a battery, USB Type C, Bluetooth and WiFi capability as all those things remain almost the same through the list. All the above-mentioned devices offer unique features. Depending on your budget and the brand value, go with the suitable one.