Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 finally brings 5G to budget phones

By

Qualcomm is making 5G even more accessible. 2020 was the year that most phones started coming with 5G, and now it looks like 2021 will be the year it comes to the low end. That’s thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 480, which has Qualcomm’s X51 5G modem, and will likely feature in phones in the sub-$300 range.

In 2020, Qualcomm released a few different 7-series chips that support 5G, which powered some of our favorite phones, as well as the Snapdragon 690 with 5G another tier down the line. Bringing the support to the 4-series means that phones across almost all price ranges will soon support 5G, except for, perhaps, the cheapest of the cheap phones that come with 2-series chips.

The Snapdragon X51 5G modem supports both low-band Sub-6 networks, and the ultra high-frequency mmWave networks. That means that no matter how your carrier is deploying 5G, with a Snapdragon 480-powered phone, you should be able to take advantage of the network. That, of course, is despite the fact that mmWave availability is extremely limited.

Related

We’re quickly reaching the point where any phone over $150 will have 5G.

Apart from supporting 5G, the Snapdragon 480 also supports the Wi-Fi 6 standard, and Quick Charge 4+. According to Qualcomm, it offers hefty 100% CPU and CPU improvements compared to the previous-generation Snapdragon 460, as well as AI improvements of up to 70%. This will be helpful — 4-series chips have been fine, but definitely underpowered compared to their more powerful 6-series, 7-series, and 8-series siblings.

Other features include support for 120Hz displays, which would be a big step up for inexpensive phones if companies manage to get the panels in there. And it also has a new Spectra 345 ISP, which is a triple ISP that enables simultaneous capture of up to three cameras.

Just last month, Qualcomm launched another new chip, the Snapdragon 888. The 888 is the company’s most powerful chipset to date, and it’s the first to be built on a 5nm process, following Apple’s A14 Bionic chip. Phones featuring the Snapdragon 888 have yet to be released, but the Galaxy S21 may be the first, if its rumored announcement date of January 14 turns out to be true.

When it comes to Snapdragon 480 availability, Qualcomm says that the first devices to feature the new chip will be announced in “early 2021.” Nokia, Oppo, and Vivo all commented as part of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480 press release, suggesting that they’ll be among the first to release Snapdragon 480-powered phones.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Qualcomm is about to make cheap Android phones better than ever
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 render.

Qualcomm is adding a new top-tier mobile chipset to its portfolio — one that takes the best bits of its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon, makes some concessions, and serves it all up in a more affordable package. The result of those efforts is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, which is slated to appear inside phones from Xiaomi and Honor in the coming month.

Qualcomm is once again pushing generative AI capabilities for its latest silicon, touting features like image expansion, support for AI models from the likes of Meta to create an intelligent on-device assistant, and readiness for Google’s Gemini Nano model. So far, these things have remained exclusive to Google's Pixel and Samsung flagships, but it appears that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 will finally bring them to a larger audience.

Read more
Motorola’s two new budget phones shouldn’t look this good
The Moto G Power 5G and Moto G 5G phones in a render.

While not as flashy as flagship phone announcements, it's always worth keeping an eye on new phones in the budget range being launched. Motorola was the long-time king of this particular area but was largely unseated by particularly strong efforts from manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus into the budget market.

So, it might no longer be the sole king, but that doesn't mean it's throwing in the towel. Far from it, in fact. Motorola has just announced two new smartphones in the sub-$300 bracket: the Moto G Power 5G (2024) and the Moto G 5G (2024). Here's everything you need to know.
Moto G Power 5G (2024)

Read more
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more