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Qualcomm may have the largest share of the smartphone processor market, but there is still a segment that it does not have firm control over. At the lowest and most inexpensive levels, MediaTek processors are often the go-to solutions, often for affordability rather than features. With MediaTek aggressively pushing its 5G-capable Dimensity processors into the high and mid tiers, Qualcomm is now trying to get where it hurts the most by promising a 5G Snapdragon 400-series chip next year.
MediaTek actually already has three tiers of 5G dimension chips that cover high-end and mid-range smartphones. Qualcomm has similar coverage, with the Snapdragon 690 announced last June as its mid-range “global 5G” chip solution. Now it is aiming even lower, although it does not yet have a specific name or date for this “mainstream 5G” silicon.
While not exactly an entry-level, a distinction Qualcomm reserves for its Snapdragon 200 series, the Snapdragon 4 series chips are about as low as you’d like to be for a comfortable smartphone experience. It often carries the stigma of being a cheap, underpowered processor for cheap, underpowered phones, and Qualcomm believes putting 5G on it would raise its profile.
Showcasing advancements in 5G technology as well as showcasing its own prowess, Qualcomm will package 5G modems with a new Snapdragon 4 series chip to be announced later this year. It says we’ll see phones using that chip in Q1 2021 and judging from the press release, Xiaomi and OPPO are already on board.
The chipmaker says that this system-on-chip will help address the problem of 5G adoption in regions like Africa, Asia and South America, among others. That, however, is only a third of the problem. Another problem is the actual expansion of networks and cell sites that support 5G and another, perhaps more important, is the higher cost that consumers will have to pay for both a 5G service and a 5G-capable phone.
