Meet the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, Qualcomm’s Latest SoC

While Qualcomm makes a ton of top-tier smartphone chipsets like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the company also invests a significant amount of research and development into mid-tier silicon, designed to power more affordable smart devices. One example is the new Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, Qualcomm’s newest addition to its lineup of mobile SoCs.

Qualcomm says that the chip has been engineered to “make incredible mobile experiences accessible to more consumers globally.” The company adds that the 4 Gen 2 will be able to provide all-day use with CPU performance, photo and video capabilities, in addition to Wifi and 5G connectivity. Matthew Lopatka, Director of Product Management at Qualcomm states:

“Snapdragon – at its core – is driving innovation while meeting the demands of OEMs and the broader industry… With this generational advancement in the Snapdragon 4-series, consumers will have greater access to the most popular and relevant mobile features and capabilities. We optimized every aspect of the platform in order to maximize the experiences for users.”

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is the first chip in Qualcomm’s 4-series to be manufactured with a 4nm process, which Qualcomm says should improve overall battery efficiency and performance. The chip packs a Qualcomm Kryo CPU that offers peak speeds of up to 2.2 GHz, as well as Quick Charge 4+ technology for fast-charging support, enabling devices to refill up to 50% battery in just 15 minutes. There’s also support for FHD+ resolution displays with 120Hz refresh rates.

For imaging, there’s support for electronic image stabilization (EIS), as well as the inclusion of Multi Camera Temporal Filtering (MCTF), which is built into the hardware. Qualcomm states that this will be essential in providing noise reduction for video footage. As with most tech this year, there’s also been a focus on AI-based performance, such as AI-enhanced lowlight photography, as well as background noise removal for use during video calls in noisy environments.

In terms of connectivity, the chip packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X61 5G Modem-RF System, which features 3GPP Release 16 5G technology, as well as support for Wi-Fi 5 for use with tasks and games which require a speedy connection online.

Qualcomm adds that it has partnered with several smartphone OEMs to bring the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 to markets worldwide – among these brands are Redmi and Vivo, which are expected to launch devices with the new chip during the second half of 2023. Buyers looking for a 4 Gen 2-powered smartphone will have to wait a bit until the phones have launched, although there’s no word of any specific handset models which will incorporate the new chip, at least for the time being.