We’re entering a golden age of mid-range handsets, and Qualcomm’s banking on that trend with the introduction of two new Snapdragon chips.
The first is the Snapdragon 430, which is expected to land in lower mid-range devices.
It features an X6 LTE modem, which offers CAT4 download speeds of up to 150Mbps – pending your mobile network’s offering, of course.
It also has impressive uplink credentials for a mid-range chip, offering CAT5 upload speeds capped at 75Mbps.
When it comes to snapping potential, the Snapdragon 430 supports dual-camera configurations and can handle image sensors up to 21 megapixels.
Powering your gaming is Qualcomm’s new Adreno 505 GPU, which features Open GL ES3.1.
Next up is the Snapdragon 617, which is a slightly more premium offering to the Snapdragon 430.
As such, the Snapdragon 617 features the X8 LTE modem, which offers a theoretical CAT7 maximum download speed of 300Mbps.
Similarly nippy is the uplink potential, with support for 100Mbps upload speeds using bi-directional 2 x 20MHz carrier aggregation.
And just like the Snapdragon 430, the Snapdragon 617 has support for a dual-camera configuration.
Both chips use ARM’s Cortex-A53 processors, laid out in an octa-core configuration.
They’ll also support Qualcomm’s new Quick Charge 3.0 technology, which can take you from zero battery to an 80% charge in 35 minutes.
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“As smartphones and tablets continue to spread to all corners of the globe, we recognise that users are becoming more discerning in what they want,” explains Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm.
Katouzian adds: “The introduction of these new processors is a clear indication that we’re listening to the needs of our customers who want ever improving cameras, faster connectivity, and better battery life across all available price points.”
The Snapdragon 430 is expected to appear in smartphones in the second quarter of next year, while the Snapdragon 617 should show up in commercial devices before the end of 2015.
Check out our smartphone buyer’s video guide below:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.