Is the Galaxy Note 20 going to be a 'gaming phone'? This chip release suggests yes

Attention Android users: there’s a new spec to look out for in new phones. Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon 865+ 5G chip.

The mobile chipset offers a modest boost in performance over the Snapdragon 865, which you’ll find in virtually every flagship Android phone from the OnePlus 8 Pro to the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

The 865+ provides a 10 percent clock speed boost up to 3.1GHz over the 865 and 10 percent faster graphics processing with the Adreno 650 GPU. While not a major leap in CPU or GPU performance, the 865+ will be a spec the most loyal Android users should pay attention to.

For gamers — Every tiny performance boost is valuable for mobile gamers. So much in fact that Asus has announced the ROG Phone 3 (successor to the gamer favorite and monstrous ROG Phone 2) will be one of the first phones to pack the faster chip. Lenovo will also be releasing a gaming phone under its Legion brand with the 865+.

Gamers are the only people who will appreciate the 865+’s 5G gameplay at up to 144 fps and True 10-bit HDR.

Super fast Wi-Fi — Faster Wi-Fi 6 speed is the 865+’s other highlight, which works in tandem with enhancing gaming. Qualcomm says the chip’s FastConnect 6900 modem offers “the fastest of any mobile Wi-Fi offering in the industry” with speeds up to 3.6Gbps.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20? — The timing of the 865+ comes on the heels of Samsung’s Unpacked announcement yesterday. While it may be a coincidence, rumors strongly point to the Galaxy Note 20 coming with the 865+ chip, which means Samsung could position it as a gaming phone. Samsung has in the past worked closely with Qualcomm and partnered with Epic Games to make its phones the premier destination for gaming. The August 5 Unpacked event can’t come soon enough.