Qualcomm today unveiled the Snapdragon 690 5G platform, its first non-flagship chipset compatible with the fifth generation of mobile networks. From a consumer perspective, the arrival of this system-on-chip should usher in a new era of sub-$650 5G smartphones.
Not that you couldn’t already get such a device if you waited long enough for previously released flagships to drop in price, mind you. But the Snapdragon 690 5G promises a pretty remarkable combination of flagship performance and affordability. To date, Qualcomm already received orders for this chip from LG Electronics, TCL (Alcatel), Motorola, Sharp, and Wingtech, among others, the company said during today’s announcement.
Based on historical precedent, Xiaomi and Samsung are also likely to be picking up this chip further down the road. Apart from 5G, the Snapdragon 690 also offers support for 4K displays with 10-bit HDR support. The chip can also make use of cameras supporting resolutions up to 192 megapixels, Qualcomm revealed. A fifth-generation neural engine from the company is also on board, designed for even faster and more energy-efficient AI processing.
As for the aforementioned 5G availability, it comes courtesy of the latest Qualcomm modem – the Snapdragon X51 5G. Snapdragon 690 5G smartphones are likely to launch in the $450-$700 range.