What you need to know
- Qualcomm is probably not releasing a Snapdragon 865+ this year despite early rumors to the contrary.
- Meizu's CMO, Wan Zhigiang, shared the information in a post on Weibo.
- Qualcomm had previously released an 855+ last year mid-cycle, fueling expectations that it would do so this year.
Qualcomm was expected to follow up its flagship Snapdragon 865 with a secondary 865+ SoC later this year to power fall flagships, but Meizu's CMO says that there might not be one this year. Commenting on Weibo (via GizChina), Wan Zhiqiang told disappointed fans that an 865+ would not be coming from Qualcomm.
The 865+ had previously been expected to launch mid-year and ship in phones like the OnePlus 8T Pro, Galaxy Note 20, and so on following a similar pattern to the 855+ last year. It was even rumored earlier this year via a Chinese tipster, Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via Android Authority) with a launch frame for Q3. But there an 865+ was never guaranteed, and the mid-year refresh is a clear outlier when one takes a step back and looks at Qualcomm's historical releases.
When it comes to Qualcomm's current effort, the 865 is already a very expensive chip, and a more powerful variant would push prices up on already expensive flagship handsets at a time where most people are more considerate regarding their wallets. With all that context, Meizu's CMO's statement just puts the final nail in what was already a long shot.
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