Smartphone chipset maker Qualcomm has launched a brand new series of its mobile powerhouse at MWC 2018, with the Snapdragon 700 promising to bring flagship features to handsets at a more affordable price bracket.
The Snapdragon 700 series slips in below the firm's flagship Snapdragon 800 chipsets, and above its mid-range 600 series, which means the phones that the new chips will feature in won't be cheap, rather just more affordable than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei Mate 10 Pro and iPhone X.
On-device AI and improvements to camera, device performance and power currently only available on the high-tier 800 chipsets, will be available for manufacturers to implement into their phones at a lower cost with the 700 series.
Flagship features, smaller price
Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 700 chipset will also offer a 30% increase in power efficiency over the Snapdragon 660, Quick Charge 4+ technology giving you 50% of charge in 15 minutes and enhanced connectivity including ultra-fast 4G and Bluetooth 5.
With its aim of bringing flagship experiences to a lower price point we wonder if the likes of Motorola and OnePlus will be keen to pick up the Snapdragon 700 as they attempt to continue to undercut the competition.
The first Snapdragon 700 chipsets will start shipping to phone manufacturers in the first half of 2018, so we're unlikely to see devices launched with the new chip before the end of the year.
MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2018 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone.
