- Qualcomm unveiled a brand new mobile processor for mid-range affordable Android smartphones.
- The Snapdragon 768G supports worldwide 5G, 120Hz displays, and features a faster CPU and GPU.
- The first phone to run on the 768G processor is going to be the Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition handset from Xiaomi.
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Price may be an even more important factor when buying a new phone this year, as the novel coronavirus health crisis had a massive impact on the economy. Smartphone sales aren’t doing great as a result, and that’s hardly surprising. Millions of people have lost their jobs, so buying a new phone will not be a priority for quite a while. Apple just released a budget iPhone that has no match on the other side. The 2020 iPhone SE offers the same performance as the iPhone 11 phones but costs only $399, which is a great price to pay for a device that’s going to last for several years. Android handset makers have plenty of new mid-range offerings for buyers looking for affordable handsets, and the upcoming $399 Pixel 4a will be one such example. But mid-range Androids are about to get better thanks to a brand new chip from Qualcomm that will support 120Hz screens, worldwide 5G, and sport a better gaming performance.
The Snapdragon 768G is the successor of the 765G chip that was unveiled only a few months ago alongside the Snapdragon 865 flagship. As the name suggests, the new chip is a variation of the previous chipset, supposed to deliver several improvements.
First of all, we’re looking at global 5G support, which Qualcomm says it’s to be expected from the 768G. That’s thanks to a built-in Snapdragon X52 modem that supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G versions as well as both standalone and non-standalone 5G networks.
The other upgrade concerns performance. The new 7nm chip features an updated Adreno 620 GPU that’s supposed to be 15% faster. The clock speed of the chip has also seen a similar bump in performance, going up to 2.8GHz from 2.4GHz.
Qualcomm says the phone will support “immersive gaming,” which includes support for high refresh rates screens — up to 120Hz, like the Galaxy S20 flagship series that rocks the more expensive Snapdragon 865 processor.
The Snapdragon 765 processor is powering various mid-rangers already, including the LG Velvet that was launched a few days ago. The 765G version of the chip is rumored to be the used inside the upcoming Pixel 5 phone. If those rumors are accurate, the Pixel 5 will be the first new Pixel flagship not to rock high-end components.
The first phone to incorporate the new Snapdragon 768G chip is the Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition, an Android phone that will launch on May 14th in China, per xda-developers. The handset will start at 1,999 yuan ($282), featuring a 6.67-inch Full HD hole-punch display with dual front cameras, 120Hz refresh rate, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, triple-lens rear camera system, 5G, 4,500 mAh battery, and 30W fast charging. It’s unclear when the new Xiaomi phone will launch in international markets.
