Qualcomm launches new Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 5 chips, set to power Oppo and Xiaomi phones

Qualcomm has launched the new Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 chipsets with upgrades focused on gaming, AI cameras, smoother performance, and better battery life. The new processors are set to power upcoming phones from Oppo, Redmi, Xiaomi, Realme, and Honor.

In Short

• Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 brings 77 per cent better GPU performance and 90FPS gaming
• Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 supports Wi-Fi 7, 200MP cameras, and AI night vision
• New chips to debut soon in Oppo, Redmi, Realme, and Honor phones

Qualcomm has introduced two new mid-range smartphone chipsets in India, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5. The company says that the new chips are aimed at bringing faster performance, smoother gaming, improved cameras, and better battery life to affordable Android phones. The new processors are confirmed to power upcoming devices from brands such as Oppo, Xiaomi, Redmi and Realme, which means Indian buyers could soon see these upgrades in phones across multiple price segments.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 focuses on gaming and smoother daily use

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 comes with an octa-core setup featuring two performance cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz and six efficiency cores running at up to 2.0GHz. It supports Full HD+ displays with refresh rates up to 144Hz, which means smoother scrolling and animations.

One of the biggest upgrades this year is graphics performance. Qualcomm says the GPU inside the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 delivers 77 per cent better performance than the previous generation. For the first time in the Snapdragon 4 series, the chip also supports 90FPS gaming, which should benefit users who play competitive mobile games.

Qualcomm also claims the chip can open apps 43 per cent faster and reduce screen stutter by 25 per cent. In battery terms, the company says power savings have improved by 10 per cent, enough to allow roughly an extra hour of video streaming.
On the connectivity side, the processor supports sub-6GHz 5G, Wi-Fi 5, and Dual SIM Dual Active technology. This means users can keep two SIM cards active at the same time with 5G support. Camera support goes up to 108-megapixel sensors.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 brings premium features to mid-range phones

The more powerful Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is designed for upper mid-range smartphones. It features four performance cores running at up to 2.6GHz and four efficiency cores at up to 2.0GHz. Qualcomm says the chip is built on a 4nm process, which should help with efficiency and sustained performance.

Compared to the earlier Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, Qualcomm claims the new chip offers a 21 per cent GPU boost. Gaming improvements include the Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0, which adjusts resources during demanding scenes for smoother gameplay. The company has also added Game Super Resolution for upscaled visuals and Frames Per Second 3.0 for more stable frame rates.

For everyday use, Qualcomm says users can expect 20 per cent faster app launches and 18 per cent less screen stutter. Battery life is also said to improve by around 8 per cent, which the company claims can translate into two extra hours of video playback.

The chipset supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, FHD+ displays up to 144Hz, and cameras up to 200 megapixels. A major camera feature is AI-powered night vision, which is designed to improve low-light photos and videos.

New Smooth Motion UI feature added

Qualcomm says both chipsets include a new chipset-level feature called Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI. According to the company, this is designed to offer "lag-free navigation" and smoother transitions while using the phone.

Phones launching soon with these chips

Qualcomm says Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 will first arrive in devices from Honor and Redmi. Meanwhile, Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 will be seen in upcoming phones from Oppo, Realme, and Redmi.

Since previous Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 devices like the Oppo K13 and Moto G95 launched in India under Rs 25,000, the new Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 could soon appear in phones priced in a similar bracket.

"India continues to play a critical role for Qualcomm Technologies as one of the most dynamic mobile markets in the world," said Chris Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Handsets, Qualcomm Technologies.

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