The Low-Cost Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 SoC Means 5G Phones For Everyone

Published on June 17, 2020
Image Credit: [Qualcomm]

Qualcomm just announced their latest addition to the 6-series Snapdragon processor family, the Snapdragon 690. This chip is meant for mid-range phones and should show up in devices soon. Why does this matter? Because the Snapdragon 690 is the first mid-range 6-series snapdragon to support 5G. So, it’s safe to say that cost of 5G phones is about to plummet. For example, the Nokia 5.3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, and you can buy one of those for about $160 (125 Pounds Sterling). The new Motorola Moto E has a Snapdragon 632 SoC and you can buy one for $149. Google used a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 in the $399 Pixel 3a.

That’s a lot lower cost than the currently available entry-level 5G phones which use Qualcomm chipsets such as the Snapdragon 765G. Entry level 5G phones like the Motorola Edge and TCL 10 5G cost well over $500. The next round of mid-range 5G phones that use the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 would reduce 5G phone prices to $400 or less.

The Snapdragon 690 has 8 cores and will run at a speed for 2Ghz. It’s comes with a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X51 modem, but the X51 is not buit-in to the chipset, it’s a separate module. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X51 modem is capable of connecting to Sub-6 GHz 5G networks. Sub-6 5G offers more coverage and is in much wider use around the world than much faster mmWave 5G. In the United States, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T use Sub-6. Upgraded wireless connectivity was not the only thing Qualcomm upgraded did with this chipset. The new chip also adds support for 4K HDR video, 120Hz refresh rate screens, and 192 megapixels camera compatibility.

Mediatek is also getting in on the sub-$1,000 5G phone action with their ‘Dimensity’ range of 5G capable SoCs. The Mediatek Dimensity 800 is also an 8 core, 2 Ghz design. Like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690, it also supports 120Hz refresh rates and 4K HDR video. You can find this chip in a small selection of phones meant for the Asian Pacific markets, including the $270 Huawei Enjoy Z. MediaTek’s Dimensity series also includes a Dimensity 820 and Dimensity 1000 chip, so there is a wide performance range to choose from.

Does Snapdragon 765g Support 5G?

Yes. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G mobile platform includes 5G Support at multi-Gigabit speeds.

Which Mobile Has Highest Snapdragon Processor?

Best Snapdragon

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 PhonesScore
Samsung Galaxy Note 98.9
OnePlus 6T8.8
Xiaomi Pocophone F18.8
Google Pixel 3 XL8.6

Featured Image Credit: [Qualcomm]

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