Midrange smartphones often lag behind top-tier smartphone models, particularly in photography, processor speed, and many other features. Soon, that won't have to be the case as new technology is coming to power cheaper models to rival their more expensive counterparts.
Snapdragon SoC maker Qualcomm has announced thery are working on three new chips that will power midrange smartphones and give them the boost the world smartphone-using populace longs for, TechRadar reported.
Qualcomm said they will release the new Snapdragon 655, 730, and 730G later this year, all of them meant to improve the performance mid-range smartphone models.
655
The 655 is specifically designed to give cheaper smartphones support for up to three cameras. The chip will provide support for telephoto, wide and ultra-wide lenses, and a single sensor up to 48MP in size.
The 655 features a third-generation AI engine will allow manufacturers to give their smartphones features such as 3D Face Unlock, Object Detection, Portrait Mode and Low Light Night Mode. It won't, however, support 5G networks.
730
The Snapdragon 730 is more powerful than the 655 and provides better camera capabilities.
Unlike the 655, the Snapdragon 730 features a fourth-generation AI engine that greatly improves photography features. With the 730, midrange smartphones will be able to capture 192MP images, or 48MP images with multi-frame noise reduction.
With the 730, midrange phones can easily rival the Huawei P30's snapshots. What's more, the 730 is also capable of capturing 4K HDR quality videos, with a real-time bokeh effect.
The fourth-gen AI engine also improves voice control features, and makes working with the onboard voice assistant easier. Qualcomm claims devices using the Snapdragon 730 will be able to pick a user's voice more accurately even from a far distance.
The chip also provides support for a wider range of keywords used to activate the voice assistant, making it easier and more natural to use.
730G
Finally, Qualcomm announced a third processor designed for midrange gaming smartphones. Aptly named the Snapdragon 730G, it offers enhanced gaming performance compared to the 730.
The 730 boasts of up to 15% faster graphics rendering compared to the 730, and has a "Jank Reduce" feature that lowers stuttering in games by up to 90%. CNET notes that the 730G also features "anti-cheating" extensions that level the playing field for all gamers.
What's more, the 730G features technologies to support HDR gaming and helps in dealing with Wi-Fi related problems such as latency issues.
