Qualcomm’s latest chips are designed to set the 5G connectivity standard for some of the cheapest phones on the market, bringing fast 40-watt wired charging and gaming support to phones priced under $100.
The Snapdragon 4S Gen 2 platform announced on Tuesday is aimed at these lower-end phones, and Qualcomm says it will begin rolling out later this year, starting with a device from Xiaomi.
“With this new platform, gigabit 5G smartphones will cost less than $99,” Qualcomm product marketing manager Carina Affinito said in a brief statement.
Much like other S chips offered by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 4S Gen 2 is aimed at slightly smaller phones than last year’s Snapdragon 4 second generation processor. While Qualcomm’s earlier Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor is roughly in the same class and powers Motorola’s phone, there’s no guarantee that the company making the phone in the U.S. will use this particular processor. $200 Motorola G 5G. Since Qualcomm doesn’t release new versions of less powerful chips every year, 4S Gen 2 gives phone makers another option to bring updated features to lower-cost devices.
Meanwhile, Samsung and TCL often use processors from rival MediaTek in their sub-$200 5G phones, such as $200 Galaxy A15 5G. TCL 50 series 5G phones are cheaper – as low as TCL 50 XE 5G $100 For example, the TCL 50 XL 5G costs $160, but is typically locked to U.S. carriers when it reaches lower prices.
However, many other phones priced at $150 or less will still be released in 2024 without any 5G connectivity, and the availability of chipsets like the 4S Gen 2 for these cheaper phones will likely help bring that functionality More universal – even mobile phones can use 5G networks.
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