Andrew Heinzman
Despite the limited availability of 5G in the US, phone manufacturers are racing to sell 5G handsets at an affordable price. And the newly launched Snapdragon 690 chipset may help that dream come true. According to Qualcomm, the cheap new Snapdragon 690 processor should find its way in $300 to $500 phones before the end of the year.
The new Snapdragon 690 joins Qualcomm’s other 5G-enabled processors, like the Snapdragon 865 and the Snapdragon 765. It’s sports four cores and has a maximum clock speed of 2.0 GHz, which is about 20% faster than last year’s Snapdragon 685 chipset.
If you’re the kind of person who obsesses over phone displays, then keep an eye out for the Snapdragon 690. Its the first “budget” Qualcomm chip to support 120 Hz refresh rates—something that was exclusive to $1,000 phones just a few years ago.
The 690 also supports high megapixel cameras (up to 192-megapixels) and 4K video recording with HDR 10 support. To make the most of high-res video support, the 690 chipset has an updated Hexagon Tensor Accelerator for improved video stabilization and AR support.
Some phone manufacturers, like Motorola, Nokia, and LG, already plan to make phones with the new Snapdragon 690 chipset. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 690 will bring 5G to affordable devices by the second half of this year. (Wait, aren’t we already half-way through the year?)
