Yesterday it was leaked that Qualcomm would soon be launching a new budget 5G chipset named Snapdragon 480. Now, the US chipmaker has made it official to rival its biggest opponent MediaTek.
This first 2021 launch, marks that Qualcomm is taking its 2020 loss seriously as it lost to MediaTek in shares. With this Snapdragon 480 launch, Qualcomm is telling vendors to make budget 5G smartphones in 2021.
This is not unusual as 2021 will be a crucial year in terms of 5G development. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform is the first 4-series mobile platform equipped with 5G.
“Qualcomm Technologies continues to accelerate 5G commercialization globally to make 5G smartphones more accessible, especially as people worldwide continue to connect remotely,” said Kedar Kondap, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform will exceed OEM’s and consumer’s expectations in delivering high- and mid-tier features at an affordable price.”
Specifications
In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 480 is based on a modern 8nm process that itself makes it even more efficient. It features the Qualcomm Kryo 460 CPU with up to 2.0 GHz clock speed.
For graphics, you have the Qualcomm Adreno 619 GPU, whereas the Qualcomm Hexagon 686 Processor delivering up to 100% performance improvement in CPU and GPU, and up to 70% AI performance improvement compared to its predecessors.
The Snapdragon 480 chipset also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology, a first in a 4-series. For 5G connectivity you have Snapdragon X51 5G Modem-RF system to support mmWave and Sub-6 GHz 5G bands.
Other connectivity features include the Qualcomm FastConnect 6200, while the Snapdragon 480 also offers 2×2 Wi-Fi (dual Wi-Fi antennas) with a set of key Wi-Fi 6 features, such as 8×8 sounding with multi-user MIMO, for significant range and performance improvements. In addition to this, you have Bluetooth 5.1 support and advanced wireless audio capabilities.
For camera, you get the Qualcomm Spectra 345 ISP – it’s the first triple ISP in a 4 series. This lets you capture from all three cameras simultaneously with triple 13MP camera support.
The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 also supports up to FHD+ display with 120fps. Then you have support for a lot of entertainment features like the Qualcomm aptX audio.
