Skip to main content

Qualcomm finally gives first look at Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 platforms

Qualcomm has finally taken the wraps off of the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 platforms at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which the company flew me out to. While full details about the platforms have yet to be revealed, the new chipsets will power the next generation of flagship and premium smartphones.

The Snapdragon 865 in particular is set to be Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile platform to date, replacing the previous-generation Snapdragon 855 that can be found in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Google Pixel 4. As such, we’re expecting that the new platform will appear in devices like the Galaxy S11, the Pixel 5, and so on. Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi announced at the summit that the Mi 10, the follow up to the impressive Mi 9, will indeed have the Snapdragon 865 chipset.

The Snapdragon 865 also places an emphases on 5G connectivity, and features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modem. That’s good news for the future of 5G. It’s expected that many more manufacturers will start releasing 5G-capable phones in the next year or so, while carriers will continue to roll out their 5G networks that the phones can make use of. While the rollout of 5G will take at least a few years to truly be available around the country, 2020 may end up being the year that it becomes widely available. Even Apple is likely to adopt 5G in 2020 — so it’s good to see that it’ll be more widely available as part of these new chipsets.

The new Snapdragon 765 likely won’t be available in quite as many devices as the Snapdragon 865, but it will be available in a few slightly cheaper phones at least. In general, 700-series chips  feature slightly less powerful specs than 800-series platform specs, but they still offer a range of premium features focused on A.I., and in this case, 5G.

Alongside the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765, Qualcomm also announced a new version of its in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The new sensor offers a 17x-larger scanning area than previous-generation sensors, meaning that it can scan multiple fingers at once. The result? It’s a whole lot more secure than previous-generation in-display fingerprint sensors. According to Qualcomm, the sensor is also faster and easier to use — though it’s currently unclear how much faster it is or why it’s easier to use.

More details about the Snapdragon 865 and the Snapdragon 765 are likely to be released over the next few days, so stay tuned.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Here’s our very first look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Galaxy Tab S9+ leaked images

Samsung’s existing slate of Android tablets is one of the finest hardware of its kind, and it appears that the company doesn’t want to stray from the winning formula any time soon. Leaker @OnLeaks has shared renders of the Galaxy S9 Plus, and they bear a striking similarity to its Galaxy Tab S8 series predecessor.

The sleek metallic build with sharp edges is here to stay, and so is the contrasting magnetic strip at the back. The bezel size also remains familiar, while the horizontally positioned selfie camera is once again positioned at the same spot.

Read more
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is big news for cheap phones
Hand holding up a smartphone against a city background with Qualcomm Snapdragon7+ Gen 2 logo.

Qualcomm has taken the wraps off its Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, the next generation of its midrange mobile platform. The new chip is designed to deliver powerful entertainment experiences and performance gains to a broader range of smartphones.

The new platform is an evolution of last year’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which was already a leap beyond the older Snapdragon 700 series it replaced. It began closing the gap with the premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — a trend that continues with this year’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2.

Read more
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 ushers in the next era of 5G connectivity
Qualcomm Snapdragon X75.

Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon X75, the company's sixth-generation 5G modem that promises to push smartphones and other connected devices into the next phase of 5G technology.

The Snapdragon X75 is the successor to last year's X70, which is the modem found in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powers this year's most powerful 5G smartphones — including Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11. However, it's more than just an evolution of that earlier modem system, as Qualcomm has packed in support for next-generation 5G Advanced technology along with an entirely new architecture and powerful AI features that will allow mobile devices to access better coverage and achieve even faster speeds.
5G grows up big-time

Read more