Qualcomm‘s “4” series processors typically cater to the budget-conscious smartphone market. Last year, the company introduced the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, which improved on its predecessor with a 4nm manufacturing process and support for faster RAM and storage. Now a new leak suggests the chipmaker might be adding another variant – the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2.
Leaked by Evan Blass on X (formerly Twitter), the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 appears to slot in between the existing Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and 4 Gen 2 in terms of performance. It retains the 4nm process and an octa-core CPU configuration, but with a slight downgrade in clock speed (up to 2.0GHz) compared to the 4 Gen 2’s 2.2GHz.
But the biggest trade-off seems to be in display support. While the 4 Gen 2 boasted a smooth 120Hz FHD+ experience, the 4s Gen 2 scales back to a more standard 90Hz FHD+.
Another area of cost-saving is in RAM compatibility. Unlike its siblings, the 4s Gen 2 opts for the more established LPDDR4x RAM, with speeds up to 2133MHz, instead of the more advanced LPDDR5x. While this might not significantly impact everyday tasks, it could affect multitasking and app loading times.
Surprisingly, the 4s Gen 2 even lacks support for 108MP cameras. Even the base Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 offers this, while the 4s Gen 2 seemingly prioritizes lower megapixel sensors that will limit image quality on phones powered by this chip.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 positions itself as a budget-friendly option for manufacturers looking to create affordable 5G smartphones.
However, the downgrades in display refresh rates, RAM compatibility, and camera capabilities suggest users might face some compromises in performance and user experience. It’s still uncertain which phone brands will adopt the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2.
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