Qualcomm has officially unveiled the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset today at its Snapdragon For India event. Designed for budget-friendly smartphones, the chip prioritizes affordability over top-tier performance.
The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 shares the same 4nm manufacturing process and core configuration as its standard sibling, but Qualcomm has dialed back the performance of its high-performance cores to 2GHz. This places it between the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and 4 Gen 2 in terms of performance.
However, the compromises extend beyond the processing power. The 4s Gen 2 supports slower LPDDR4X RAM instead of the faster LPDDR5X found in the 4 Gen 2. Additionally, display quality takes a hit with a maximum refresh rate support of 90Hz compared to the 4 Gen 2’s 120Hz.
Camera capabilities are also scaled back. The dual ISP can no longer handle 108MP image sensors, forcing manufacturers to opt for more modest 50MP or 64MP options.
The focus on affordability extends to the chip’s 5G capabilities. While it has 5G connectivity, download speeds are capped at 1Gbps compared to the 2.5Gbps of the 4 Gen 2.
Connectivity options are similarly limited, adhering to the older Wi-Fi 5 (ac) and Bluetooth 5.1 standards – a common theme for the budget-oriented 4-series chips.
However, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 isn’t entirely barebones. It retains the Qualcomm Audio and Voice Communication suite, enabling high-fidelity music streaming at 96kHz. Camera features like multi-frame noise reduction and electronic image stabilization (EIS) are also present, along with dual-frequency reception for improved GPS accuracy.
Xiaomi is confirmed to be the first manufacturer to bring the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 in the Indian market, likely integrating it into their Redmi line.
The company’s president of the India branch, Muralikrishnan B, shared his excitement about the chip’s potential to democratize 5G access, “We are excited to be working with Qualcomm Technologies to enable access to gigabit-fast connectivity for users. Many people have yet to experience the benefits of 5G, and thanks to Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, Xiaomi can bring 5G connectivity to a broader audience to help reshape the way the world connects and interacts.”
However, the specific Xiaomi smartphone that will debut with the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 remains unconfirmed.
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