Qualcomm launches Snapdragon 480 5G mobile platform, 5G entry-level and affordable models may explode

On January 4, 2021, Qualcomm Technologies announced the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G mobile platform, the first Snapdragon 4 series mobile platform to support 5G. Snapdragon 480 can further promote the popularization of 5G and enable more entry-level 5G mobile phones to be launched.

“Qualcomm Technologies will continue to accelerate the global 5G commercialization process so that more users can use 5G smartphones, especially as people around the world continue to maintain remote communication,” said Kedar Kondap, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies. “The Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform will exceed the expectations of OEMs and consumers for products in this tier, providing mid-to-high-end features at an affordable price.”

It is understood that the Snapdragon 480 integrates the Snapdragon X51 modem, which supports mmWave and sub-6GHz networks. Adding 5G to the 4-series platform can further reduce the cost and price of 5G mobile phones. At present, the price of most 5G mobile phones has basically reached US$500, and mobile phones with 5G functions are basically mid-range or mid-to-high-end mobile phones.

Qualcomm added 5G to the 4 series with the aim of helping mobile phone manufacturers produce 5G phones priced between $125 and $250. It is believed that more popular and economical 5G phones will appear in 2021.

In addition to 5G capabilities, the Snapdragon 480 also has significantly improved performance compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 460. The CPU and GPU performance of the Snapdragon 480 is twice that of the previous model, and the performance of AI tasks is improved by 70%. In addition, the Snapdragon 480 is the first 4-series chip to use 8nm process, the first to support Quick Charge 4 Plus, the first to support 120fps FHD+ panels, the first to provide 64-megapixel still image processing support, and the first to provide triple ISP integrated with three cameras, which can take three photos at the same time.

The first phone equipped with Snapdragon 480 is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2021. Major companies such as vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, Motorola, and HMD's Nokia are also expected to launch phones equipped with this platform in the future.