Qualcomm is introducing a new entry-level smartphone chip, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, designed to make 5G technology accessible to a broader range of consumers. This chip is set to appear in budget Android phones towards the end of 2024. It’s essentially a slightly toned-down version of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor, emphasizing faster connectivity and enhanced camera capabilities.
The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, a 5G-ready chip, promises downlink speeds of up to 1 Gbps, significantly faster than the 4G-only silicon found in similar price brackets. It also introduces video stabilization and multi-frame noise reduction features for sharper media capture. Built on a 4nm fabrication process, the octa-core Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 features performance cores clocking at a peak frequency of 2GHz.
While the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 offers a compelling upgrade in connectivity and camera capabilities, it does come with some compromises compared to its Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 counterpart. It supports a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz (compared to 120Hz), utilizes LPDDR4X RAM (which is about 30% slower than LPDDR5), and lacks global 5G multi-SIM support. Additionally, its image capture capabilities are limited, and its performance and efficiency cores are slower than the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2.
Despite these compromises, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 presents a substantial upgrade over the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. It supports up to 84-megapixel single camera image capture and can record FHD videos at up to 60 frames per second. It also includes Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio and Aqstic audio codec for high-resolution music streaming at up to 96kHz. Wireless connectivity is facilitated through Sub-6GHz 5G, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth v5.1. The feature set is further enhanced with Qualcomm QuickCharge 4+ technology and dual-frequency GPS.
Qualcomm expects Xiaomi to be among the first manufacturers to adopt the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2. The company believes this new chip will make 5G accessible to a staggering 2.8 billion smartphone users. It will be interesting to observe if TCL, Motorola, and other companies embrace the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 for the North American markets.
In the competitive landscape, MediaTek has been gaining market share with its Dimensity 6000 series 5G processors, which have found favor among Chinese smartphone makers in key markets like Asia. It remains to be seen how the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 will fare against these competitors and ultimately impact the landscape of budget Android phones.
