Qualcomm's flagship chipsets have been the gold standard for silicon for some time. At least for Android phones. But some people may not need all that computing power.
As the American chipmaker's annual chip launch approaches, we expect the new Snapdragon 875 with high watermark to make its debut. More importantly, for those who are not planning to buy a premium smartphone in 2021, a "lite" version of this chipset should also debut.
We thought it would be that bad if Qualcomm split its flagship 800 series in two? We asked readers if they would welcome the addition of a lightweight Snapdragon flagship SoC to bolster its ranks. Here's what you told us:
Would you like to see a lite version of Qualcomm's flagship processors?
Results
A large majority loves the idea of a flagship Lite SoC. Of the 1,400+ votes cast, 83.7% of voters believe Qualcomm should ship a Snapdragon 875 Lite in 2021. As Hadlee Simons argues in this extensive article, a lite flagship chipset would go a long way in closing the performance gap between the true mid-range and expensive top tier.
Qualcomm's moat between the 700- and 800-series silicon may be too big for some OEMs to choose between compromising on features or overstretching price. We've seen a number of phone manufacturers choose the Snapdragon 765G on their experimental or flagship phones in 2020, likely to keep costs in check. The LG Velvet and LG Wing for $ 999 are two such examples.
Continue reading: What is a SoC? Everything you need to know about smartphone chipsets
However, some believe that a flagship Lite chipset isn't going to do much for the industry. Around 250 votes were cast against the introduction of cheaper, top-quality silicon. Judging from the comments, it is clear that readers have their own solutions.
Here is what you have to say
- Dt Bell: You're a little bit black and white about your poll. Yes that would be a great addition. No, that's not necessary. There should be a central statement with "MEH" in.
- kfjm254: Anyone else who thinks of the MediaTek Dimensity 1000/800 series ??? I mean they are more powerful than the 765 and only on par with the 855 ... this is the chip you are looking for, you just have to get over "social racism".
- Tech Fan: Yes, that would be great, especially for the regular flagships (Non-Plus / Pro / Ultra) who can make them more affordable and closer to the "flagship killer" concept without compromising on other aspects like display quality, camera, Battery, build etc and still a decent and almost flagship performance with possibly less power consumption.
- sonicsynth2000: Why not publish devices with the current 865 or even 855 in 2021? 875 lite could potentially be cheaper than the actual 875, but still more expensive (and possibly worse) than the existing 865.
That's it for this poll. Thank you for your votes and comments. If you have any other thoughts please drop them below.