Why Consumers Can Expect 5G Devices To Become Cheaper Starting This Year

Those who want to harness the power of 5G connectivity speeds in a smartphone normally tend to spend lots of money – upward of $500, at least – to get a device that’s capable of doing so. Qualcomm, however, made an announcement that’s about to change this and will make 5G more affordable for the average consumer.

Chipmaker Qualcomm recently announced the new Snapdragon 480 5G chipset for mobile devices, The Verge reported. This is the latest 5G-capable processor from the company and is the first 4-series chipset to offer the connectivity feature.

What makes this news worth noting is the fact that the chipset is designed for cheaper devices. Qualcomm has a variety of chips for different devices. Its Snapdragon 8-series chipsets are normally used to power high-end devices such as Samsung’s latest Galaxy phones, while its 6-series chips are used to power midrange smartphones. Its 4-series chipsets are used on budget devices.

By fitting the Snapdragon 480 5G with its X51 5G modem, the new chipset will be able to power affordable devices and let them connect to 5G networks to enjoy fast connection speeds. According to the new chipset’s spec sheet, it is capable of connecting to both the faster and slower 5G networks called mmWave 5G and sub-6GHz 5G, respectively.

The Verge noted that with the new 5G-capable chip, smartphone makers will be able to produce affordable smartphones with support for 5G that will cost consumers between $125 and $250. This means consumers will be able to take advantage of the new fast network standard that’s gaining increasing coverage across the globe.

Aside from offering support for 5G networks, Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 480 5G chipset also offers support for many other specs and features that consumers will want for new budget handsets. Per the spec sheet, the Snapdragon 480 offers:

• Support for FHD+ displays with 120Hz refresh rates
• Up to three 13MP rear cameras or 25MP + 13MP dual camera setups
• Up to 64MP photo captures
• 1080p single video capture at 60fps
• 1080p dual video capture at 30 fps
• 720p triple video capture at 60fps
• Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ fast charging technology
• and more

It’s currently unclear what devices will feature the new chipset, but consumers can expect various companies to use it for their budget handsets.