Qualcomm’s Latest Snapdragon Processor Targets Enabling 5G on Devices Under $100

On Tuesday, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, an entry-level innovation designed to bring 5G connectivity to approximately 2.8 billion smartphone users across cost-sensitive markets, such as India and Latin America.

In recent times, producers have found it challenging to entice feature phone users in India, the globe’s second-largest smartphone market, to upgrade, especially with the scarcity of 5G options within the under-$100 price bracket.

As reported by IDC, the budget-friendly smartphone segment in India saw a decrease of 14% on a year-over-year basis, accounting for a 15% market share. This resulted in 5.1 million units being shipped in the first quarter alone. Leading this segment are Xiaomi and its sub-brand Poco, despite the overall smartphone market in the country experiencing an 11% annual increase to 34 million units, with the $200-$400 range dominating sales.

With the introduction of the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, Qualcomm intends to bridge the existing void in the low-end smartphone market. Xiaomi is set to release its inaugural device powered by the 4s Gen 2 in India later this year, as confirmed by the chipmaker to TechCrunch.

TechCrunch also highlighted that Jio, a leading telecom firm in India, is contemplating the creation of 5G-enabled feature phones to cater to the vast number of consumers hesitant to shift to smartphones.

The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, although a scaled-down variant of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 which debuted last June, is engineered using the 4nm process technology. It features an octa-core Kryo CPU, including two high-performance cores peaking at 2GHz and six efficiency cores that reach up to 1.8GHz.

Nevertheless, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 does not support the widely used non-standalone 5G deployment, which enables carriers to deliver high-speed internet over their current network infrastructure. Instead, it facilitates connectivity through the standalone 5G setup.

Currently, Jio is the sole telecom service in India to provide 5G connectivity in standalone mode, though Airtel, the country’s second-largest provider, plans to introduce a similar service in the foreseeable future.

Kiranjeet Kaur, IDC Asia/Pacific’s associate research director, shared with TechCrunch that, while mobile phone manufacturers in India have been proactive in rolling out more affordable 5G smartphones, such enthusiasm has not been as widespread internationally.

Through economies of scale, Qualcomm has been able to lower the production costs of the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chip, thus paving the way for more budget-friendly 5G mobile devices in India and other developing regions.

Kaur noted, “There are lingering questions — what are the advantages for the user to transition to 5G, the extra cost tied to the device or plan, or the potential need to compromise on smartphone features to access a more economically priced 5G phone?” She believes that increased support from component manufacturers will bolster OEM efforts and stimulate competitive pricing in the budget segment, thereby gaining momentum.