Vivo will be one of the first to release Snapdragon 865-powered phone

Chinese phone maker Vivo doesn't wait. The company told Techradar it'll be one of the first brands to launch a smartphone with Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 865 chip.

First! — Being first used to be a huge deal. Samsung would always be first (or one of the first) to confirm a new chip, or camera sensor, or whatever. But in recent years, Chinese phone makers like Vivo have edged out the Korean electronics giant. Vivo was the first to release phones with pop-up cameras and in-display fingerprint sensors. TL;DR: Chinese phone brands aren't waiting to embrace new innovations — this is largely why there's a new premium Android phone released like every week.

The chip that'll power many phones — Vivo might be one of the first to market with a phone packing the Snapdragon 865 chip, but every flagship 2020 Android phone will most likely be powered by it too. Samsung's Galaxy S11, the OnePlus 8, the Pixel 4 and many more will use it — it's cyclical.

To 5G or not to 5G? — Less important than using the 865 chip is whether or not new phones will support 5G. The 865 chip doesn't come with an integrated 5G modem. If a company wants to release a 5G phone with the chip, it'll have to use a separate modem to do so and that potentially comes with higher component costs and poorer battery life.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 chip, however, does come with an integrated 5G modem. The downside is the chip isn't nearly as powerful as the 865.