Thanks to the availability of 5G-ready flagship to mid-range chipsets, various smartphone OEMs have launched 5G-ready smartphones across different price segments. MediaTek has a couple of chipsets such as Dimensity 820, Dimensity 800, Dimensity 800U, and Dimensity 720, which has made it possible for smartphone makers to launch cheaper 5G phones. Earlier this week, Realme unveiled the Dimensity Realme V3 with 999 Yuan (~$146) pricing. Qualcomm has a couple of high-end 5G-ready chipsets, but it does not have a chipset for cheaper 5G phones. Today, the U.S. based chip maker revealed that it will be launching the 5G enabled Snapdragon 4-series chipsets in early 2021 to power low-priced 5G smartphones.
Without confirming the exact name of the chipset, Qualcomm revealed that the Snapdragon 4-series 5G SoCs will be introduced in Q1 2021. Motorola, OPPO, and Xiaomi will be among the first brands to launch low-priced 5G phones powered by the new chipset.
Qualcomm has 5G chipsets like Snapdragon 865, 865 Plus, 855, and 855 for powering flagship phones. The Snapdragon 768G, 765G, and 765 are designed to power premium mid-range 5G phones. In June, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 690 5G or mid-range phones. A phone featuring the SD690 is yet to arrive in the market. Probably, 5G phones powered by the Snapdragon 4-series 5G chipset could be priced around $200 in the market.
It is speculated that the Snapdragon 4-series chipsets with 5G support will only work with sub-6GHz networks. In other words, it may not support high-speed mmWave networks. The U.S. based chip maker did not share any details on the specs of the chipset.
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