Qualcomm’s next rebranded chip is for cheaper phones
Last year, Qualcomm switched up its branding by changing its long-standing Snapdragon naming scheme. Instead of having three-digit CPU names, the company opted for something simpler, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The first number indicates the chip range, while the second indicates the generation it belongs to. Since Qualcomm introduced its new branding, we’ve seen three chips — the 8 Gen 1, the 8+ Gen 1, and the mid-range 7 Gen 1. Soon, a new, even lower-end member will join the family.
Leaker Evan Blass shared a spec sheet detailing an unreleased chip called the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. It’ll bring this rebranding to the Snapdragon 600 range that has shipped on mid-range to entry-level smartphones over the last few years. As it sits lower than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, it’ll power some of the best cheap smartphones over the coming months.
As for its specs, it’ll support 5G — a must for Qualcomm these days — and FHD+ cameras up to 120Hz. It’ll also use the company’s Spectra image signal processor and support up to 108MP image capture and 4K video recording at 30fps. Like its higher-end siblings, it’ll be fabricated in a 4nm process.
In terms of actual horsepower, all we know right now is that its Kryo CPU will run at up to 2.2 GHz — we don’t have detailed info on its core layout. It’ll support up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and fast charging through Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ standard, as well as Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and USB 3.1. Of course, phones coming with this chip will vary in their specifications depending on what a phone maker wants to ship — what we’re detailing here is just an upper technical limit.
The Snapdragon 695 5G was already a mighty fine CPU, so we have great expectations about what the 6 Gen 1 will allow for once it’s out.
