Having 5G networks isn’t enough to get the masses to adopt the technology. More than merely high-end premium phones, there is a greater need to appeal to the mid-range market, which accounts for a significant portion of smartphone users worldwide. Qualcomm may have fallen behind its main competitor, MediaTek, in this area, but it will not be taking things lying down. Qualcomm has unveiled three new 5G chipsets and one 4G processor that might power the next generation of devices later this year.
Market analysts have claimed that MediaTek has eclipsed Qualcomm in shipment volumes for nearly a year, albeit this does not necessarily suggest that the company has made more money during that time. Part of MediaTek’s success can be credited to the company’s decision to target the mid-range smartphone market with a slew of 5G processors in addition to its normal slew of 4G chips. Of course, Qualcomm has 5G CPUs in those tiers, too, but MediaTek outperformed Qualcomm in volume and possibly pricing.
Qualcomm‘s three new 5G chips, which span its three mid-range lines, will answer at least one of those problems. The Snapdragon 778G+ is a Snapdragon 778G with Qualcomm FastConnect support, whereas the Snapdragon 695 supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks, as well as 120Hz refresh rates for HD+ screens. The Snapdragon 480+ is a new entry-level 5G processor that offers a little performance boost over the Snapdragon 480.
A few prominent smartphone manufacturers were eager to express their support for the new CPUs, with HMD Global focusing on the Snapdragon 480+ in particular. On the other hand, OPPO is excited about the Snapdragon 695’s global 5G promise, while Xiaomi has committed to using both the Snapdragon 778G+ and the Snapdragon 695. Honor, Motorola, and Vivo have also joined the effort to bring these chips to a new generation of low-cost 5G phones.
According to Qualcomm, these mobile 5G platforms will be available in the fourth quarter of this year. Thus phones should be available by the end of 2021 or early 2022. To ensure that non-5G markets are not left out, Qualcomm also unveiled the Snapdragon 680 4G, a 6nm chip aimed at applications such as gaming and imaging rather than keeping up with the current fads.
Source: Qualcomm
