Qualcomm takes on MediaTek with new Snapdragon for entry-level smartphones

The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 is described as an entry-level chipset that comes with a Gigabit-capable 5G modem, but pares back almost all of its other features to put it in the lowest possible price bracket.

A side-by-side comparison to Qualcomm's flagship platform, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, highlights the yawning gap that has opened up between the top and bottom of the market.

The 4s Gen 2 might be able to reach 1 Gbps, but the 8 Gen 3 can theoretically get to 10 Gbps thanks to its X75 modem, which supports carrier aggregation (CA). It's a similar story with Wi-Fi – the former is equipped with Wi-Fi 5, the latter with Wi-Fi 7.

The 8 enables faster charging than the 4s. It also supports higher RAM frequency; higher-resolution displays with quicker refresh rates; and can power feature-packed HDR cameras. Then of course there is the laundry list of on-device AI capabilities that have been packed into Qualcomm's premium chipset, which have also been left out of the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2.

All of this is understandable and necessary to keep a lid on average selling price (ASP) and tap into a growing market. Recent stats from Omdia show that shipments of 5G smartphones that cost less than $250 surged 62 percent year-on-year in the first quarter to 62.8 million.

Indeed Qualcomm mentions in its press release that the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 has an addressable market of around 2.8 billion people who are shopping towards the lower end of the scale.

"The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 Mobile Platform is a significant leap forward in making 5G technology more accessible, so more people can navigate the world at 5G speeds," said Chris Patrick, SVP and general manager of mobile handsets at Qualcomm. "Thanks to cutting-edge engineering, we balanced affordability with strong performance and all-day battery life, as well as widespread access to 5G for more enhanced mobile experiences."

However, that aforementioned Omdia report also revealed that thanks to the growing popularity of cheaper handsets, Qualcomm was supplanted by Taiwanese rival MediaTek in the 5G chipset market in Q1. Ergo, Qualcomm's new chip will have to measure up favourably against MediaTek's equivalent.

That would be the Dimensity 700, and there is not a lot to pick between it and the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2. They both have similar processor speeds, support the same RAM frequency and display refresh rate, and both have Wi-Fi 5.

Qualcomm's offering appears to come with more camera features and is based on a more modern, 4nm process compared to the Dimensity's 7nm. Crucially though, MediaTek's chipset has support for 5G CA, enabling a higher maximum downlink speed of up to 2.77 Gbps.

They both look like worthy options for decent low-end smartphones, so it might all come down to OEM partnerships.

On that note, China's Xiaomi will become the first OEM to launch a device powered by Qualcomm's new platform. Its first offering is expected to be announced before the end of the year.

"Many people have yet to experience the benefits of 5G, and thanks to Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, Xiaomi can bring 5G connectivity to a broader audience to help reshape the way the world connects and interacts," said Muralikrishnan B, president of Xiaomi India.

MediaTek has a window of time to consolidate its position then, but it will need to respond with an updated entry-level product if it wants to stay ahead.