Qualcomm's latest chip brings 5G to sub-$100 phones

Qualcomm teased a new chipset a few months ago that would make sub-$100 gigabit 5G phones more viable. That day has finally come, as the company has revealed the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2.

The new chipset has a Snapdragon X61 modem with 1Gbps downlink speeds, and Qualcomm says this processor enables sub-$100 phones with gigabit 5G connectivity.

Another interesting modem-related inclusion is Release 17 support. This cellular standard also enables support for non-terrestrial networks, namely satellites. However, Qualcomm told Android Authority that the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 doesn’t actually support satellite connectivity. That’s not a surprise as the tech is still restricted to a few of the top Android phones, so it’ll likely take a few years until we see it in cheap devices.

Qualcomm’s latest mobile processor is built on a Samsung 4nm process, and the company touts some notable efficiency gains compared to an unnamed rival. It specifically touts up to 37% better power efficiency for the modem, 90 more minutes of music playback, 33 more minutes of voice calling, and 26 more minutes of video calls. We asked the company to identify the rival processor but it refused to share more details, only saying this competitor chip targeted entry-level phones as well.

Aside from the improved connectivity and efficiency, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 shares some DNA with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2. There’s that aforementioned 4nm design, the same octacore CPU setup (2x Cortex-A78 cores, 6x Cortex-A55 cores), support for the older Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 5 standards, and Quick Charge 4+ support. The new chip also brings AptX Adaptive audio support, which is seemingly missing from the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2.

The chipmaker has also made some downgrades, such as a 2GHz peak CPU clock speed, 84MP snapshot support, and a 90Hz refresh rate at FHD+ resolution. By contrast, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 offers a 2.3GHz CPU clock speed, 108MP snapshot support, and a 120Hz refresh rate at FHD+ resolution.

Qualcomm says “key” manufacturers, including Xiaomi and its associated brands, will be the first to offer the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2. It says the first phones with this processor will arrive before the end of the year. No matter the manufacturer, we’re keen to see super-cheap Android phones with fast 5G support.