Qualcomm brings 5G to cheaper phones with new processor

SAN DIEGO: Qualcomm on Tuesday introduced the newest 5G chip in its lineup targeted at cheap smartphones.

The Snapdragon 690 processor marks the first time Qualcomm has offered 5G toward the lower-end of its smartphone chip lineup that will include some features normally found only in premium devices.

Qualcomm said it is putting 5G technology into chips for smartphones that will sell for as little as $300 and that will come to market in the second half of this year.

Qualcomm is the biggest supplier of processors for smartphones and the modem chips that connect the phones to wireless data networks.

The company’s chips featuring 5G cellular telecommunications technology are currently in many premium-priced smartphones such as Samsung’s Galaxy devices.

Qualcomm has also been working to get the technology into cheaper devices. The new chip, called the Snapdragon 690, will go into devices that it expects to retail at $300 to $500.

Phone makers such as HMD Global, the owner of the Nokia phone brand, LG Electronics and Motorola plan to use the chips, Qualcomm said.

The push into lower price points means higher volumes for Qualcomm. According to data from Counterpoint Research, smartphones with wholesales prices of $100 to $400 made up about half of the overall smartphone market in the first quarter of 2020.

This year was supposed to be the year 5G went mainstream but the spread of the novel coronavirus has caused doubts about how widely the technology will be used.