The News: Qualcomm recently announced new additions to its midrange and more budget friendly mobile processor families the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. See the Qualcomm release for more information.
Qualcomm Boosts its Mid-Range and Budget Friendly Mobile Platforms
Analyst Take: The new additions to Qualcomm’s mobile platform echoes the naming convention changes the company made to its higher-end line, the 800 Series, to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 platform. The newly announced Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 series also replace the Snapdragon 400 and 600 series naming nomenclature. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 mobile platform targets the mid-range market just under the premium tier, while the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 targets the more budget friendly low-end of the mid-range market.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Series
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, which is built on a 4-nanometer process, is outfitted with Qualcomm’s triple 12-bit Spectra Image Signal Processor (ISP) capable of capturing up to 200-megapixel single camera photos, has 25+16 Megapixel dual camera support (at 30 frames per second) and 13-megapixel triple camera setups. The system is also capable of video recording 4K HDR video capture at 30 frames per second, along with offering slow-motion video capture at 720p at 240 frames per second. The CPU is comprised of an 8-core or 4x Cortex-A78 and 4X Cortex A-55 and features the Adreno GPU. From a connectivity perspective, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Series offers Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 Series
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 (6-nanometer process), targeting the budget friendly market, offers great improvements from the prior generation. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 camera offers triple a 12-bit Qualcomm Spectra image signal processor (ISP) that is capable of up to 108-megapixel photo capture which is the highest-quality single-shot in the Snapdragon 4-series family. Users can also take up to 13-megapixel triple shots with zero shutter lag at 30 frames per second. On the video front, users can record 1080p single video capture at 60 frames per second. The camera does not have the ability to record in 4K. The CPU is also an 8-core with 2x Cortex A-78 and 6x Cortex-A55. From a connectivity perspective, the SoC also features Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 5.
Wrapping it up, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 series will make excellent additions to the company’s mid-range and budget friendly platform segments that I expect to resonate with myriad consumers segments. Remember, not all consumers can afford or have the need for all the superior functionality of handset devices outfitted with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 system-on-chip that is incredibly powerful with its 18-bit Spectra ISP and other robust functionality. For example, many home or small businesses networks are still outfitted with Wi-Fi 5 (Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC) and haven’t made the transition to Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6e (Snapdragon 6 Gen 1), since they offer good enough functionality for their daily needs. Also, many households may not be streaming rich media content from platforms like Netflix or Disney+ and they might also not be playing online games, so their needs are different. Qualcomm has done a good job of fleshing out its mid-range and budget friendly offerings and I think these make great adds and offer consumers the choices they need.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum Research as a whole.
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