As is always the case, new things are expensive. The first 5G devices used Snapdragon 855 chips, and then at Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 765 series, bringing the price point for a 5G phone down to around $700. In June, the firm introduced the Snapdragon 690, bringing 5G to even more inexpensive devices.
Now, it's time for 5G to arrive in the Snapdragon 4-series. The company said that early next year, it will introduce a 5G chipset on its entry-level Snapdragon tier, so we'll see some low-cost 5G smartphones.
"Qualcomm continues to pave the way for 5G commercialization at scale, and the expansion of 5G into our Snapdragon 4-series is expected to address regions that currently have approximately 3.5 billion smartphone users combined," said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. "The Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform is designed to exceed expectations for the mass-market segment by bringing an assortment of predominately high- and mid-tier features to a broader audience. It will deliver on the promise of making 5G accessible to all smartphone users."
Soon, the smartphone landscape will look the same with 5G as 4G did a few years ago, where you can safely assume that any smartphone on a shelf supports it. Companies committed to using the Snapdragon 4-series 5G chip include Motorola, Oppo, and Xiaomi, and these devices should arrive in the first quarter of 2021.
