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| Only two out of the ten phones from the list are powered by the Dimensity 9500. Pictured: logo of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. |
The first major benchmark ranking of the year is here, and if you were expecting a seismic shift in the smartphone performance hierarchy, you might be disappointed. AnTuTu has just released its flagship performance chart for January 2026, and the story remains strikingly familiar to the closing months of 2025.
Once again, Qualcomm's powerhouse Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset reigns supreme, claiming eight out of the top ten spots. The only spoilers to a clean sweep are two impressive devices powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9500, proving that competition at the very top is still alive and kicking.
How the Rankings Work
Before we dive into the list, it's crucial to understand what these numbers represent. AnTuTu doesn't just take a single, record-breaking score. Instead, they curate these rankings based on the highest average benchmark score from thousands of tests conducted throughout the month. This method offers a more realistic picture of real-world, consistent performance that users can expect, rather than a peak figure achieved under ideal lab conditions.
Given that a phone must balance raw power with thermal management and software optimization to maintain high averages, these monthly charts are always in flux. A phone that tops the chart one month can easily slip a few positions the next if its cooling can't keep up during sustained workloads.
Read the official source announcement on Weibo here.
The January 2026 Top 10: A Detailed Breakdown
Here’s a closer look at the smartphones that defined flagship performance in the first month of 2026:
- RedMagic 11 Pro+ (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 4,104,271 points: Topping the chart is no surprise for the RedMagic 11 Pro+. As a dedicated gaming phone, its sole focus is unleashing the maximum potential of the Snapdragon chip, backed by extravagant active cooling systems. It's the uncontested raw performance king.
- Vivo X300 Pro (Dimensity 9500) – 4,090,624 points: In a remarkable second-place finish, the Vivo X300 Pro shows what MediaTek's finest can do. Coming within a hair's breadth of the top spot, it proves that the Dimensity 9500 is a formidable competitor, likely paired with superb optimization from Vivo.
- Realme GT8 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 4,075,525 points: Realme continues its "flagship killer" tradition with the GT8 Pro, leveraging the Snapdragon chip to deliver top-tier performance, often at a more aggressive price point than some rivals.
- iQOO 15 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,940,592 points: iQOO's philosophy of blending gaming prowess with mainstream appeal lands its latest device solidly in fourth place, showcasing robust performance tuning.
- Honor Magic 8 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,938,103 points: The first of three Honor devices on the list, the Magic 8 Pro demonstrates the brand's strong engineering capabilities in harnessing the Snapdragon platform for its high-end offerings.
- Honor Win (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,930,629 points: Honor's niche foldable, the Win, makes a strong showing, indicating that its unique form factor doesn't come with a performance compromise.
- Honor Magic 8 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,911,883 points: The standard Magic 8 rounds out Honor's trio, completing a clean sweep of the 5th, 6th, and 7th positions for the brand.
- OnePlus 15 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,879,401 points: The OnePlus 15 secures the eighth position. Known for its clean, performant software, OnePlus delivers a reliable flagship experience. For those interested, the OnePlus 15 is available for purchase on Amazon.
- Redmi K90 Pro Max (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) – 3,837,663 points: Xiaomi's value-focused sub-brand, Redmi, brings extreme performance to a more accessible tier with the K90 Pro Max, claiming its spot in the top 10.
- Vivo X300 (Dimensity 9500) – 3,739,657 points: The non-Pro Vivo X300, also equipped with the Dimensity 9500, closes out the list. Its presence confirms that MediaTek's flagship chip is providing a consistent performance baseline across different product tiers.
The Takeaway: Consistency is Key
The January 2026 rankings solidify the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5's position as the go-to silicon for absolute performance. However, the strong showing of the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, especially in the Vivo X300 Pro, indicates that the gap is narrowing. For consumers, this means more choice and potentially better value.
As we move deeper into 2026, it will be fascinating to see if new device launches or software updates can disrupt this established order. For now, these ten phones represent the pinnacle of Android performance as the new year gets underway.
Source: AnTuTu Benchmark via Weibo
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| The latest flagship phone performance ranking (machine translated) |