Snapdragon 4s Gen 2: Making Affordable 5G a Reality in India
The recent launch of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset at the Snapdragon For India event is set to revolutionize the budget smartphone market in India. This new chipset aims to bring 5G connectivity to the masses by lowering the cost of 5G smartphones to less than ₹8,000. But what does this mean for the average Indian consumer? Let’s break it down.
Why Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 is a Game-Changer
In an exclusive interview with Business Today, Chris Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mobile at Qualcomm, explained the motivation behind focusing on the affordable price segment. “We designed this chipset because we saw a real need for incredible 5G technology at lower price points,” Patrick stated.
He added that they saw great devices in the Indian market, but the cost was still high for 5G. The goal was to make 5G technology more accessible by designing a platform that could bring advanced Snapdragon technology and 5G to devices priced as low as $99 (about ₹8,000).
What’s Inside the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 Chipset?
One of the most appealing aspects of this new chipset is what it offers in terms of features. According to Patrick, the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset will include a high-quality camera with multi-frame noise suppression, a modem capable of 1 Gbps download speeds, and excellent AI technology for voice recognition and detection.
“What’s unique in the industry is that we design our own graphics, AI technology, modem technology, and RF technology. We’re even coming out with our own CPU. Few companies have this breadth of technology, allowing us to co-design these components to fit within a cost-effective package,” he noted.
Impact on Indian Market
The introduction of this affordable chipset is expected to have a significant impact on the Indian market. An analysis by Techarc projects that the availability of 5G smartphones below ₹8,000 will lead to the migration of 156 million feature phone users to 5G by 2030. They estimate that this segment will add ₹130 billion in cumulative revenues for the smartphone industry between 2024 and 2030.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the strong potential, there are challenges as well. According to Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at Techarc, competition from the second-hand smartphone market will be a significant hurdle. “Smartphones selling in the ₹15,000-20,000 range in the first-hand market will be available in the ₹5,000-8,000 range in a couple of years from now,” Kawoosa explained. These second-hand phones might offer better specifications than new sub-$99 5G smartphones.
Additionally, the current absence of 5G use cases and the increase in mobile tariffs could also slow down the migration of 2G and 3G users to 5G smartphones. Techarc believes that for wider adoption, phones in the ₹7,000-8,000 range won’t drive huge numbers. Prices must eventually drop to the ₹5,000-6,000 range to increase adoption significantly.
The Road Ahead
As Qualcomm continues to collaborate with smartphone makers to bring 5G into more affordable devices, Xiaomi is set to be the first brand to adopt the new chipset. The first 5G smartphone with Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 is expected to be available by the end of 2024.
Qualcomm’s upcoming announcements at IFA 2024 in Berlin on September 4th are also highly anticipated, with expectations of new additions to their X Elite and X Plus categories. These developments could further drive the adoption of 5G across various price tiers.
With the introduction of the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 chipset, Qualcomm is paving the way for affordable 5G technology. This move not only has the potential to transform the budget smartphone market but also to bridge the digital divide, bringing high-speed connectivity to millions of users in India.
Feel free to watch the event coverage for more insights:
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