Forget Android flagships! Qualcomm's new chip brings big features to smaller budgets

Qualcomm has just launched its Snapdragon 780G 5G processor, which might not sound all that thrilling, but could offer a serious boost to more affordable Android smartphones set to launch this year. The 7-series chipsets already power many popular mid-range handsets and that trend is likely to continue with the latest model.

These more affordable phones should benefit from numerous performance gains, including faster processing speeds and boosted camera features when fitted with the 780G. In fact, Qualcomm claims its 780G is the first 7-series platform to include a triple Image Signal Processor.

As you might be aware, most new phones now ship with at least three cameras on the rear case (usually some combination of main, ultra-wide, telephoto, or macro depending on the manufacturer) and the triple Image Signal Processor technology allows images to be shot using all three lenses simultaneously.

Qualcomm says its feature delivers three different images captured by zoom, wide, and ultra-wide lenses at once. That will allow users to get more choice after pressing the shutter button once.

This technology has been available in Qualcomm’s priciest chipsets for a little while now, but has been something those who avoid coughing up £1,000+ for a new phone will have missed out on.

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The Snapdragon 780G 5G should also improve camera quality when shooting at night thanks to a new low-light architecture. Users can also shoot in HDR10+ 4K video to capture over a billion shades of colour.

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Along with the camera getting a boost, there’s also good news for gamers as this new chipset is designed to cope with the most memory-hungry titles. The Snapdragon 780G should deliver desktop-level capabilities including updateable GPU drivers, ultra-smooth gaming, and True 10-bit HDR gaming, Qualcomm has claimed.

Finally, you shouldn’t have any issues downloading file and streaming content on the screen. That’s because the Snapdragon 780G also features an optimised Snapdragon X535G Modem-RF System with peak download speeds of 3.3 Gbps.

This platform also includes the premium Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth audio features that are found on Qualcomm’s premier Snapdragon 888 chip.

“Since introducing the Snapdragon 7-series three years ago, more than 350 devices have launched based on 7-series mobile platforms. Today, we are continuing this momentum by introducing the Snapdragon 780G 5G Mobile Platform,” said Kedar Kondap, Vice President of Product Management “Snapdragon 780G was designed to bring in-demand, premium experiences to more users around the world.”

So when will see the first 780G 5G-powered phones in shops? Qualcomm says that the first commercial devices based on Snapdragon 780G are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2021. So, you should be able to pick-up a 780G-equipped phone this summer.

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