Snapdragon 480 arrives to make 5G smartphones more affordable

In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 480 features the Qualcomm Kryo 460 CPU with up to 2.0 GHz and Adreno 619 GPU with each claimed to deliver up to 100% performance improvement compared to the predecessor Snapdragon 460 Mobile Platform.

Qualcomm on Monday unveiled the Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform, the first 4-series mobile platform equipped with 5G, to help OEMs bring accessible 5G mobile devices to more people around the world and accelerate the commercialization of 5G.

According to Qualcomm, the new 5G chipset offers the most advanced 4-series capabilities to date. Built on the 8nm process technology, the Snapdragon 480 is equipped with Snapdragon X51 5G Modem-RF System that offers multi-gigabit 5G connectivity across both mmWave and Sub-6 GHz spectrums. It also supports SA and NSA modes, TDD, FDD, and Dual Spectrum Sharing (DDS).

In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 480 features the Qualcomm Kryo 460 CPU with up to 2.0 GHz and Adreno 619 GPU with each claimed to deliver up to 100% performance improvement compared to the predecessor Snapdragon 460 Mobile Platform.

Other capabilities include support for 120fps FHD+ display, Qualcomm aptX Audio, Spectra 345 ISP that allows capturing from all three cameras simultaneously, 2x2 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, Dual-frequency GPS and NavIC, among others. It also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology for fast battery charging.

With this launch, 5G is now available in all Snapdragon tiers - 4-series, 6-series, 7-series and 8-series. Smartphones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform are expected to be commercially available in early 2021.

"Qualcomm Technologies continues to accelerate 5G commercialization globally to make 5G smartphones more accessible, especially as people worldwide continue to connect remotely," said Kedar Kondap, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.