Theta Android News: This is when Qualcomm could launch the Snapdragon 865 Plus

Friday, June 26, 2020

This is when Qualcomm could launch the Snapdragon 865 Plus

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in hand back

Credit: David Imel / Android Authority

Qualcomm could launch the Snapdragon 865 Plus as soon as next month.
The upgraded chipset could be an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 865.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G and the Asus ROG Phone 3 could be powered by the new chip.

The Snapdragon 865 Plus has been a bit of a mystery. Speculation about it started when Meizu's CMO said there won't be another version of the flagship SoC this year. But this claim was soon countered by popular Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, who claimed the Snapdragon 865 Plus is indeed real and will launch in Q3 2020. Now, another known leaker, Ice Universe, has taken to Weibo to announce that the upgraded chipset will launch in July.

According to Ice Universe, Qualcomm should unveil the Snapdragon 865 Plus next month if everything goes as planned and there are no unforeseen issues. Reportedly, the chip should power flagship phones in the second half of this year.

Qualcomm is awfully silent about the new chipset so we don't really know what to expect. If a launch is indeed planned for July, we should get more details in the next week or so.

Snapdragon 865 Plus: A big upgrade?

Last year's Snapdragon 855 Plus offered higher CPU and GPU clock speeds compared to the Snapdragon 855. There was no other difference between the two flagship processors. We expect the same this year. In fact, a recent rumor suggested that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G will come with the Snapdragon 865 Plus clocked at 3.09Ghz.

Incidentally, that's also the clock speed estimated on the upcoming Asus ROG Phone 3, so it's quite possible the gaming phone is using the upgraded silicon.

The overclocked CPU and GPU should definitely give flagships with the Snapdragon 865 Plus an extra kick, but don't expect a mountain of a difference. If you have a Snapdragon 865 phone already, chances are you wouldn't need to upgrade because of the new chipset.

That's all we know about the so-called Snapdragon 865 Plus for now. We'll keep our eyes peeled for any other leaks or official announcements from Qualcomm. Until then, if you want to update your chipset knowledge, check out this very handy Snapdragon SoC guide. Need to learn the basics first? Here's an explainer about what is an SoC and everything you need to know about smartphone chipsets.