Qualcomm has a huge range of mobile computing platforms, most of its products are dedicated to smartphones. The brand is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies and perhaps the most popular smartphone brand. In recent years, the brand has been expanding its portfolio in order not to lose its place in the competition. Today, the chipmaker has plenty of low-cost 4G and 5G segments at various price points. In 2021, the brand has Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 as the most popular mobile processor. But it also launched the Snapdragon 870 for budget flagships. This chipset is basically an upgraded Snapdragon 865 that allows brands to continue with killer flagship smartphones. Now, a new leak suggests that Qualcomm may be working on a lower-end variant of the Snapdragon 888 Lite without a built-in 5G modem to reduce the cost of the chipset without sacrificing performance. It's all about 5G these days, but can you get a cheap 4G phone with performance?
The new information comes from well-known alumnus Roland Quandt. He shared some details about the alleged chipset with the model name SM8325. Quandt is confident that a "lower derivative" of the Snapdragon 888 is being developed with this model number. Let's call it the Snapdragon 888 Lite for now. This will help manufacturers ensure the processing capabilities of the latest processor while enjoying the opportunity to eliminate the expensive mandatory 5G modem.
Qualcomm has a lower end derivative of the Snapdragon 888 (SM8350) in the works. SM8325 is the model number and there seems to be NO integrated 5G modem on this one. #CheapFlagshipPhones
- Roland Quandt (@rquandt) March 8, 2021
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (4G) can be a great choice in countries without 5G networks
This does not mean that the new chipset will not have 5G support at all. The Snapdragon 888 is the only option that requires the mandatory Snapdragon X60 5G modem. For example, the Snapdragon 865 comes without a built-in modem. This allowed companies to either add 5G support for an additional fee or skip 5G support to keep their smartphones affordable. Vivo took advantage of this by launching 3G-only variants of the Snapdragon 865-powered iQOO 4. The devices received an incredibly low price.
Unfortunately, the leaker doesn't provide any other details about the processor, but it does state that it should be manufactured using a 5nm process. This only gives it a slight advantage over the Snapdragon 870, which is a 7nm chipset. This particular Snapdragon 888 variant could be a strong contender in countries where 5G is far from a reality.
