Qualcomm Upgrades Snapdragon 855 With Speedier 'Plus' Version

Qualcomm is introducing a more powerful version of its flagship Snapdragon 855 processor, which will end up in smartphone models launching later this year, including a new handset from Asus.

The Snapdragon 855 Plus processor has a slightly faster CPU and GPU over the standard 855 chip. The clock speed on the Kyro 485 CPU has been amped up from 2.84GHz to 2.96GHz. Meanwhile, the Adreno 640 GPU has been improved to offer a 15 percent performance in graphics.

According to Qualcomm, the upgrades make the Snapdragon 855 Plus ideal for any vendors looking to create smartphones focused on gaming. One vendor, Asus, plans on using the chip for just that. The company's upcoming Republic of Gamers (ROG) II smartphone is slated to be the first device to run on the 855 Plus processor with more details to be shared in the coming weeks.

You can also expect the new chip to arrive in some premium handsets. "Snapdragon 855 Plus is our most advanced mobile platform to date," added Qualcomm VP Kedar Kondap in a statement. Like the standard Snapdragon 855, the new chip also supports 5G connectivity when paired with Qualcomm's X50 modem, meaning you'll be able to enjoy 5G-powered gaming experiences, which can include VR and augmented reality.

We'll have to wait for actual samples to see whether the 855 Plus offers a significant performance increase. In January, PCMag benchmarked the standard Snapdragon 855 chip, and the silicon was on par with the chip inside Apple's iPhone XS. The 855 is now being used in all the top Android flagship phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Qualcomm offered no specifics on the chip's power efficiency, saying only that the 855 Plus will offer "all-day battery life."

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include information about the ASUS ROG II phone.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
Xbox 360 FTW
The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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