(Credit: Qualcomm)
Amid the memory shortage that's mucking up component prices globally, at least Qualcomm has some promising news for folks hoping to pay less for a daily driver.
The chipmaker has revealed the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5, both midrange to entry-level 4nm chips boasting a bevy of flagship-level capabilities. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 promises everything from Wi-Fi 7 to 100x zoom capability, while the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 enables 90fps gameplay and higher-resolution camera shots for entry-level smartphones.
Here's a brief rundown of what to expect from smartphones powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 5 processors coming soon. The first brands to sign on are all overseas phone makers. But as affordable phones are refreshed in the US, you may start to see these chips on the spec sheets of the under-$500 and under-$300 phones you're buying.
Cheaper Flagships En Route
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is a promising chip on paper. Qualcomm lauds the chip's ability to launch apps 20% faster and reduce screen stutter by 18%. You won't notice these things, but you will notice the 100x software-enhanced zoom on the 6-series for the very first time. The chip employs AI-enhanced night vision to capture a little more light despite the aperture size. It supports up to 200MP photo capture and 4K HDR.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is also getting a connectivity boost. The series supports Wi-Fi 7, which hasn't yet been fully adopted, though it helps slightly future-proof any device under $500 with this chip at the helm. The 6 Gen 5 supports Bluetooth 6.0, enabling better proximity sensing for less stutter when wearing headphones. Plus, it's compatible with XPAN (Expanded Personal Area Network), which lets earbuds piggyback on Wi-Fi when Bluetooth is spotty.
Qualcomm built these chips on the 4nm process. They should be efficient little powerhouses. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 promises better battery life, with nearly 2 hours of additional music streaming and 30 minutes of extra high-performance gaming. The chip supports a display refresh rate up to 144Hz. And there's Quick Charge 5, which supports exceptionally fast wired charging speeds.
Small Chip, Big Gaming Power
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is more focused on bringing 5G connectivity and gaming performance to a lower price point. While the 6-series is a more balanced processor, with 4 cores for performance and 4 cores for efficiency, the 4 Gen 5 is built on 2 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. Things like app launches and swiping between screens should feel 43% faster with 25% less screen stutter overall, so the phone doesn't feel like it just came out of the bargain bin.
Qualcomm also promises a 77% improvement in GPU performance compared with the previous Snapdragon 4 generation. This is a first for the 4-series, which you'll typically find in phones under $300. The entry-level platform supports 90fps gameplay, previously a stat reserved for the pricier midrange device.
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 supports DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Active), a first for the under-$300 phones. You can have two 5G lines active simultaneously. It's ideal for people managing work and personal matters on one phone, but it's also a feature that's used in regions where people have to balance a data SIM and a voice SIM, or two SIMs with varying regional strengths.
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 will see its debut in devices overseas from brands like Oppo, realme, and REDMI. In the US, likely candidates for the 4-series include Motorola's G-series smartphones and Samsung's A-series. Nothing has been announced.