Qualcomm launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip for 5G smartphones on budget

Based on Samsung 4nm foundry, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip brings up to 10 per cent performance gain over the previous generation chip

Qualcomm on June 26 announced the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, a value-tier chip with support for standalone and non-standalone 5G network in sub-6GHz bands. Based on Samsung 4nm foundry, the chip also brings performance and imaging-related improvements. It is a 64-bit octa-core chip with two performance cores based on ARM A78 architecture (up to 2.2GHz) and six efficiency cores based on ARM A55 architecture (up to 2GHz).

“Snapdragon – at its core – is driving innovation while meeting the demands of OEMs and the broader industry,” said Matthew Lopatka, director of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With this generational advancement in the Snapdragon 4-series, consumers will have greater access to the most popular and relevant mobile features and capabilities. We optimised every aspect of the platform in order to maximize the experiences for users.”

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip is powered by Snapdragon X61 5G modem-RF, based on 3GPP release 16, for download speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and upload speeds of up to 900 Mbps. It supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity. 

Qualcomm said the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chip brings up to 10 per cent better CPU performance compared to previous generation chip. The chip supports UFS 3.1 2-lane storage and up to LPDDR5x (3200MHz) memory for improvements in data processing speeds. Besides, the chip supports up to fullHD+ resolution display of up to 120Hz refresh rate and mobile gaming at up to 120 frames-per-second. It brings AI-enhanced noise cancellation technology, Qualcomm aptX audio codec, and support for Quick Charge 4+.

Location services is enabled by India’s NavIC besides GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Calileo, and QZSS. The chip supports dual-frequency GNSS (L1+L5) and Qualcomm sensor-assisted positioning for vehicular and pedestrian navigation accuracy.

Imaging updates include Qualcomm Spectra Image Signal Processor, dual 12-bit ISPs, up to 16MP + 16MP dual-camera with 30fps zero shutter lag or up to 32MP single camera with 30 fps zero shutter lag, up to 108MP photo capture, 1080p single video capture at 60FPS or 1080p dual video capture at 30FPS, HEIC photo capture, H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) video capture, and slow-motion video capture 720p at 120FPS.