Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 To Bring 5G To Billions Of Budget Android Phones
Qualcomm is aiming to turbocharge billions of affordable Android devices with fast 5G connectivity through the release of its new Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 platform. The newest system-on-chip (SoC) in the Snapdragon family is essentially a toned down version of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 that Qualcomm unveiled around this time last year, and the two platforms combined will make 5G accessible to 2.8 billion smartphone users in select regions, the company says.
For the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, users are looking at download speeds of up to 1Gbps. That's notably slower than the 2.5Gbps offered by the non-s variant, but still fast, especially for budget handsets—according to Qualcomm, it's seven times faster than the LTE platforms that are typically found on phones within the same price tier that Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 devices will fall into.
"The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 Mobile Platform is a significant leap forward in making 5G technology more accessible, so more people can navigate the world at 5G speeds," said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Thanks to cutting-edge engineering, we balanced affordability with strong performance and all-day battery life, as well as widespread access to 5G for more enhanced mobile experiences."
Outside of 5G connectivity, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 wields an octa-core Kryo CPU comprised of a pair of Cortex-A78 performance cores that can reach clock speeds of up to 2GHz, and half a dozen Cortex-A55 efficiency cores that can hit speeds of up to 1.8GHz. Other core hardware specs include an unspecified Adreno GPU (likely based on the Adreno 619L), support for LPDDR4 memory up to 2,133MT/s and UFS 3.1 storage, and on-device display support for FHD+ at 90Hz.
For camera chores, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 sports a Spectra image signal processor that supports up to a single 32-megapixel sensor or dual 16-megapixel sensors, both with 30 FPS Zero Shutter Lag. It also supports still capture at up to 84 megapixels, and can record 1080p at up to 60 FPS.
Qualcomm's press release and marketing materials don't specific the price target for phones based on its latest Snapdragon chip, though we've seen reports that it's targeting ultra-affordable devices priced below $100. If so, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 isn't likely to find its way to the US market, and instead will focus on regions where low pricing is key.
To that end, Qualcomm says Xiaomi will get first dibs on the new Snapdragon part, with the first devices based on the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 making its debut by the end of this year.
