During its IFA 2020 presentation last year, Qualcomm confirmed that it will launch Snapdragon 400-series chipsets with 5G support next year. We’re just four days into 2021 and Qualcomm has officially announced the Snapdragon 480 5G chipset today. Snapdragon 480 5G is the first 5G chipset in the Snapdragon 400-series. It is joining the ranks of Snapdragon 690 5G and Snapdragon 750G to democratize 5G connectivity for the masses.
Snapdragon 480 5G: Specifications
Snapdragon 480 5G can be seen as a successor to the Snapdragon 460, which was unveiled in early 2020. It, however, kicks off a new era for 400-series chipsets. The Snapdragon 480 5G is an octa-core chipset based on the 8nm process node.
The chipset features Qualcomm Kryo 460 CPU cores clocked up to 2.0GHz. It was introduced with the Snapdragon 675 back in October 2018. It includes 2x Kryo 460 Gold cores clocked at 2.0GHz and 6x Silver cores clocked at 1.7GHz. The chipset is coupled with the Adreno 619 GPU (found aboard the Snapdragon 750G), Hexagon 686 DSP, and over 70% improvement in AI performance.
All of this results in up to 100% improvement in CPU and GPU performance, boasts Qualcomm in an official press note. Snapdragon 480 5G is also the first 400-series chipset to support Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0+. As for 5G connectivity, this chipset comes equipped with the Snapdragon X51 5G modem. It supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave networks, SA/ NSA modes, TDD/ FDD, and more. This is paired with Qualcomm FastConnect 6200 to offer you Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, dual-frequency GPS, NavIC, and other connectivity features.
Snapdragon 480 5G chipset supports up to Full-HD+ displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, Spectra 345 ISP for triple-camera, and aptX audio support. Qualcomm says this chipset supports up to triple 13MP photo capture, single 64MP capture, and up to 1080p @ 60FPS video recording.
Availability: First Snapdragon 480 5G Smartphone?
Now, with 5G services expected to roll out in India by the second half of 2021 (at least, as per Reliance Jio), you must be eager to know when you can pick up an affordable 5G smartphone in India. Qualcomm is working with partners such as HMD Global (Nokia phones), Oppo, and Vivo to bring 5G smartphones to the masses.
You can expect commercial smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform to start launching in early 2021. This chipset will go up against the likes of MediaTek Dimensity 700-series in the budget segment.
