Realising that India will continue riding on 4G smartphones in 2020 as the 5G dream is still away, global chipmaker Qualcomm on Tuesday unveiled three new Snapdragon mobile SoCs (system-on-chips) for the country, with Xiaomi and Realme being its first customers.
The chip-maker launched the Snapdragon 720G, 662 and 460 which are focused to deliver better user experience across connectivity, entertainment, and gaming.
These chipsets enable fast 4G connectivity speeds, deliver key WiFi 6 features an integrated Bluetooth 5.1 and advanced audio via Qualcomm Fast connect subsystems.
“Today, we have more than 500 million Qualcomm AI Engine devices. Smartphone users want seamless connectivity, features, and long-lasting battery life and the new chips will address all of those,” Kedar Kondap, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, told reporters here.
The new Qualcomm mobile platforms will support India's version of the Global Positioning System (GPS) called Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) or Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
"ISRO is satisfied with the efforts of Qualcomm towards incorporating NavIC and we urge OEMs to leverage it for future handset launches in India," said K Sivan, Chairman, ISRO at the event.
“The availability of NavIC across mobile platforms will help improve the geolocation capabilities of smartphones in the region and bring the benefits of this indigenous solution to Indian consumers,” Sivan told the audience via a video link.
The new mobile platforms also come with Qualcomm AI Engine and Qualcomm Sensing Hub.
Top executives of Chinese OEMs such as Manu Kumar Jain from Xiaomi and Madhav Sheth from Realme confirmed they will "work closely" with the chipmaker to introduce phones with the new chips, starting with the Snapdragon 720G.
Sheth said the company would be among the first smartphone brands in the country with this next-gen chip.
"We have worked closely with Qualcomm Technologies to ensure that the Snapdragon 720G Mobile Platform enables our customers to unlock this potential and experience high-performance seamlessly at faster speeds," said Realme CEO Sheth.
"I am happy to share that we will be one of the first brands globally to launch a smartphone-based on the new Snapdragon 720G," added Manu Jain, Global Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India.
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