4G will continue to remain relevant for quite sometime: Qualcomm

US-based Qualcomm on Tuesday said 4G will continue to be relevant over the next few years and unveiled a new lineup of mobile chipsets for 4G smartphones in the country.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 promise to offer enhanced user experiences across connectivity, gaming and entertainment.

"While we see a fast adoption of 5G across geographies globally, we do recognise the phenomenal boost that 4G has given towards enabling broadband connectivity for Indian consumers. 4G will stay relevant for quite sometime," Rajen Vagadia, vice-president and president, Qualcomm India, said.

He added that for regions like India, 4G will stay a key technology for connectivity.

"Our goal is to enable our partners to continue creating solutions that offer seamless connectivity access and exceptional mobile experiences," he said.

Asked about 5G, Vagadia said smartphones powered by the latest technology should make their way into the Indian market in the first half of this year.

While these smartphones are expected to be available in the mid and premium range, they would become more affordable as they get more affordable, he said adding that roll out of 5G networks would also be an important factor.

The new chipsets unveiled on Tuesday - which will be deployed by handset makers on smartphones across various price points - are designed to enable fast 4G connectivity speeds, deliver key Wi-Fi 6 features and integrated Bluetooth 5.1 with advanced audio via the Qualcomm FastConnect 6-series subsystems and support Dual-Frequency (L1 and L5) GNSS to improve location positioning accuracy and robustness.

These are also the first system-on-chip solutions to support Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).

Developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), NavIC is the Indian version of GPS. Apart from popular GPS, there are other satellite navigation systems like GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou.

Chinese smartphone brands Xiaomi and Realme said they will soon launch devices with NavIC support, based on these new Snapdragon chipsets.

"The availability of NavIC across multiple mobile platforms will help enhance the geolocation capabilities of smartphones in the region and bring the benefits of this indigenous solution to Indian consumers for their day-to-day use," ISRO Chairman K Sivan said.