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More flagship chips under $500? August phone launches say yes

August’s smartphone wave is more about what’s inside than how much it costs. From Google’s all-new Tensor G5 to a flood of Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and Dimensity 7000-series chips, we’re seeing flagship-grade processors trickle down into phones that stay firmly under the $500 line. It’s not just specs...

Condia

published: Aug 04, 2025

August’s smartphone wave is more about what’s inside than how much it costs. From Google’s all-new Tensor G5 to a flood of Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and Dimensity 7000-series chips, we’re seeing flagship-grade processors trickle down into phones that stay firmly under the $500 line.

It’s not just specs. Brands like Vivo, OPPO, and Lava are betting on big batteries, polished designs, and longer updates to stand out—while Redmi and Motorola bring new power to their budget lines. Even Google’s Pixel 10 series, which headlines the month, sticks to last year’s pricing.

If July was about form factors and foldables, August is shaping up to be about performance—without price hikes.

August is shaping up to be another busy month in mobile. Foldables are no longer a Samsung-only affair—Google and Honor are throwing in sleek updates of their own. On the midrange end, 6,000mAh batteries are becoming the new standard, and AI features that used to be Pixel-only perks are now showing up in phones from Vivo and Lava.

And then there’s the budget 5G push. TECNO and Xiaomi are targeting the sub-$200 range, proving that you don’t need to spend big for decent specs and fast connectivity anymore.

TL,DR

Phone	Expected Launch Date	Chipset	Expected Price
Pixel 10 Series	August 20, 2025	Tensor G5	$799–$1,600
OPPO K13 Turbo / Pro	August 11–13, 2025	Dimensity 8450 / SD 8s Gen 4	$278–$376
Motorola G86 Power	Early August 2025	Dimensity 7400	$329
Redmi 15C 5G	Mid August 2025	Snapdragon 6s Gen 3	$128
Vivo V60	August 12, 2025	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4	$440–$460
Lava Agni 4 5G	End of August 2025	Dimensity 7300X	$329
Honor Magic V Flip2	End of August 2025	Snapdragon 8s Gen 3	$700

Pixel 10 Series

Seven phones launching this August that prioritise power over price

Launch Date: August 20, 2025 | Processor: Tensor G5

Pixel 10 – Display: 6.3″ LTPO AMOLED | Processor: Tensor G5 | Camera: 50MP Main, 11MP Telephoto, 13MP Ultrawide | Storage: 12GB RAM/128GB | Battery and Charging: 4700 mAh, 50W | Expected price: $799
Pixel 10 Pro – Display: 6.3″ LTPO AMOLED | Camera: 50MP Main, 48MP Telephoto, 48MP Ultrawide | Storage: 16GB RAM/256-512GB | Battery and Charging: 5000 mAh, 20W | Expected price: $999
Pixel 10 Pro XL – Display: 6.8″ LTPO AMOLED | Camera: 50MP Main, 48MP Telephoto, 48MP Ultrawide | Storage: 16GB RAM/256GB – 512GB | Battery and Charging: 5060mAh | Expected price: $1,199
Pixel 10 Pro Fold – Display: 8″ OLED (inner), 6.3″ (external) | Camera: 50MP Main (upgraded), enhanced secondary cams TBD | Storage: 16GB RAM/256GB-512GB | Expected price: $1,600

Google is gearing up to launch its Pixel 10 series with an expected reveal on August 20, 2025. The launch will mark the debut of four phones: the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and the first foldable in the series, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. This year’s Pixel drop doubles down on Google’s vision for AI-first Android phones. The entire lineup will run on the new Tensor G5 chip, Google’s first fully in-house silicon, built on a 3nm process by TSMC. It’s set to deliver faster performance, better battery efficiency, and more powerful machine learning on-device.

Google has steadily moved its launch window earlier, and with the Pixel 9 series already arriving in August 2024, the August 2025 date cements the new strategy: beat the competition to market, especially Samsung and Apple.

The Pixel 10 series also brings a 7-year OS and security update promise, new camera setups, brighter screens, and Qi2 wireless charging all while keeping prices steady at last year’s levels.

OPPO K13 Turbo / Turbo Pro

K13 Turbo: Launch Date: August 11-13 2025 | Display: 6.8″ AMOLED | Processor: RGB cooling fan, Dimensity 8450 & Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 | Camera: Main 50MP + 2MP, Selfie 16MP | Battery and Charging: 7000mAh, 80W | Storage: 12-16GB RAM/256-1TB | Expected Price: $278
K13 Turbo Pro: Launch Date: August 11-13 2025 | Display: 6.8 inch AMOLED | Processor: RGB cooling fan, Dimensity 8450 & Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 | Camera: Main 50MP + 2MP, Selfie 16MP | Battery and Charging: 7000mAh, 80W | Storage: 12-16GB RAM/256-1TB | Expected Price: $376

The Oppo K13 Turbo and K13 Turbo Pro smartphones, which feature built-in centrifugal fans for cooling, are expected to launch between August 11 and August 14. This is supported by a GSMArena report and a Flipkart microsite. The smartphones include a “Storm Engine” to keep the devices from overheating. They both have a large, high-quality AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth and bright visuals.

The phones will run on Android 15 with ColorOS 15 and support 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Key features include a 50-megapixel dual rear camera, a 16-megapixel selfie camera, 5G connectivity, and stereo sound. The Turbo Pro model will have a more powerful processor and faster storage compared to the standard Turbo model.

Motorola G86 Power

First announced on July 30, the Moto G86 Power will hit stores in early August. It comes with a 6,720 mAh battery, IP68 and IP69 water resistance, and support for up to 24 GB of virtual RAM. The phone runs Android 15 with Hello UI and will get one major update plus three years of security patches.

It’s part of Motorola’s refreshed Moto G lineup, standing apart from the G56 and G86 5G with a focus on endurance and durability. The design moves away from past models, offering flat screens, pOLED brightness, and textured backs in colors like red, olive, deep blue, and lavender.

Motorola also adds system-wide AI tools—Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, and Magic Editor—plus 4K video capture across all lenses.

Redmi 15C 5G

Xiaomi’s Redmi 15 series is expected to launch globally this August, with four models in tow: Redmi 15, 15C, 15 5G, and 15C 5G.

The Redmi 15C 5G—successor to the 14C—features a notched display and a rounded-square camera island on the back.

Leaked renders via XpertPick show it in green, lavender, and black. While the layout suggests multiple cameras, it may still use a single rear lens, like its predecessor. Minor spec upgrades are likely.

Vivo V60

Vivo’s next V-series phone, the Vivo V60, is set to launch in India on August 12. Ahead of the event, the company has revealed its design and several key features, confirming a few major upgrades over the previous V50.

The V60 brings back a triple rear camera setup, this time with ZEISS branding and new Sony sensors, including a 50MP main lens and telephoto support. It also introduces a quad-curved display, runs Funtouch OS 15, and offers IP68 and IP69 protection, positioning it as a device that leans into premium design and durability.

Variants shown ahead of the launch include Auspicious Gold, Mist Gray, and Moonlit Blue. The V60 is expected to ship with a 6,500mAh battery, the latest Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, and may include under-the-hood changes like vapour chamber cooling.

Some listings also suggest it could be the first Vivo phone to debut OriginOS based on Android 16 globally. Pre-launch certifications across several countries hint at a wider international release in the coming weeks.

Lava Agni 4 5G

Lava’s next Agni phone might be on the way. It won’t be as easy to spot across Africa as a TECNO or Infinix yet, but Lava is quietly expanding.

Leaks suggest the Agni 4 is already in development. The company’s recent activity—including a made-to-order program and contract manufacturing work—points to a brand looking to stay relevant.

If the Agni 4 does land this month, it could signal Lava’s next big push into the 5G budget space..

Honor Magic V Flip2

Honor is said to be readying the Magic V Flip 2 for an August debut. A new leak hints at changes to the cover display and camera layout, moving to two matching cutouts instead of last year’s uneven stack. The UI on the outer screen is also getting an overhaul, with usability tweaks in focus.

Battery size may increase, with charging speeds rumored to reach 80W. Colour variants like Moon Shadow White and Titanium Space Gray have also surfaced. The phone is expected to run on a newer Snapdragon 8 series chip, though details are still unclear.

If the timing holds, Honor’s refresh could arrive ahead of new foldables from Xiaomi and Huawei—two of the only other Chinese brands still active in the flip-style foldable race. The original Magic V Flip launched in June 2024 with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a 50MP main camera, and a 4.0-inch cover screen.

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