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Snapdragon 865 chipset, expected to power the Galaxy 11, is official with super fast 5G speeds

By Alan Friedman

Updated: Dec 04, 2019, 1:26 AM

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Processors 5G

Qualcomm officially introduced its next-generation flagship Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform today. During day one of the annual Snapdragon Tech Summit being held in Hawaii, company president Cristiano Amon said that 2020 will be the year that the public embraces the faster download data speeds that 5G networks will deliver.

"5G will open new and exciting opportunities to connect, compute, and communicate in ways we’ve yet to imagine and we are happy to be a key player driving the adoption of 5G around the world," said the executive. "Our Snapdragon 5G mobile platforms announced today will continue to show leadership in the industry and deliver on the promise of scaling 5G in 2020." And to prove this, the chipmaker introduced the Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform which includes the Snapdragon X55 Modem as an add on; the latter supports both ultra-high mmWave signals and sub-6GHz signals as well. Besides 5G, the Snapdragon 865 also includes AI capabilities and this prompted Qualcomm to say that the chipset "is the world’s most advanced, global 5G platform, designed to deliver unmatched connectivity and performance for the next generation of flagship devices."

The Snapdragon 765/765G was also unveiled today and features "integrated 5G connectivity, AI processing and select Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming experiences." Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765/765G will be found under the hoods of 5G and 4G flagship Android phones next year. More details about these chips, including specs, will be revealed on Wednesday.

Qualcomm introduces Modular Platforms for OEMs to make it easier for them to develop 5G enabled devices.

Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon 865 and 765 Modular Platforms. These will be offered to OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to help them lower their costs of developing 5G enabled products while also helping them develop new industrial designs for mobile and IoT products. Verizon and Vodafone have already announced their support for the Modular Platform certification program; more carriers are expected to join the pair next year.

There is speculation that Apple will bring back a more secure Touch ID when it first employs Qualcomm's in-display ultrasound fingerprint scanner on the 2020 or 2021 iPhones. Apple is said to be looking to offer a full-screen in-display scanner and today Qualcomm announced that its new 3D Sonic Fingerprint Technology has a surface area 17 times larger than the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that is used on most of Samsung's 2019 flagship phones.

The Snapdragon 865 will include the Snapdragon X55 5G modem chip

During today's event, Xiaomi co-founder and Vice Chairman Bin Lin announced that the Chinese manufacturer's next flagship phone, the Mi 10, will launch during the first quarter of 2020. It will also be one of the first phones available to be powered by the Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform. Talking about 5G, Lin said, "The 5G era opens up new opportunities and challenges. It brings great innovations and redefines how users interact with devices, audio, and video applications. The next generation of 'Super Internet' will be an all-new model that combines 5G + AI + IoT, and Xiaomi will be at the forefront of this, developing and bringing 5G smartphones to the masses."

Juho Sarvikas, chief product officer at HMD Global, weighed in on the Snapdragon 765 Mobile Platform and how HMD will use it to make 5G more affordable to Nokia customers. The executive stated that "Our highest priority for 2020 is making 5G more accessible – bringing an affordable yet premium grade, future proof 5G experience for the best possible performance in NSA and SA networks with the Snapdragon 765 Mobile Platform. Aside from being an excellent mobile platform for best-in-class 5G connectivity, Snapdragon 765 Mobile Platform allows us to offer breakthrough entertainment capabilities combined with our PureDisplay technology, and our unique ZEISS powered imaging solutions that enable fans to create and share amazing content over 5G. We also congratulate Qualcomm Technologies on the announcement of its Snapdragon Modular Platform. This innovative approach to making 5G more accessible to OEMs will dramatically streamline the development process and we look forward to exploring possibilities of working with Qualcomm Technologies on this exciting platform."

The Snapdragon Tech Summit runs through Thursday.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.