Qualcomm on Thursday unveiled two new processors aimed at lower-cost smartphones, adding Wi-Fi 7 support and higher display refresh rates to a market segment that has historically lagged behind flagship devices on connectivity features.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 is the more powerful of the two chips and becomes the first processor in its series to include Wi-Fi 7, the latest wireless internet standard that supports faster speeds and better multitasking on compatible routers. The chip also adds Bluetooth 6.0, which Qualcomm says should improve pairing speeds and reduce audio latency when connecting wireless devices.
The second chip, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5, targets entry-level phones and adds support for 144Hz display refresh rates and 90 frames per second in games. Both specs have previously appeared mainly in dedicated gaming phones and flagship handsets, making their arrival in the budget tier a notable step down in price for those capabilities.
To understand where these chips fit in the current market, the $499 2026 Moto G Stylus runs on the older Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, and the HMD Fusion from 2024 used the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, selling for around $300. The Gen 5 chips are positioned to eventually power the next generation of phones in those price ranges, though Qualcomm has not confirmed specific device launches or timelines.
Qualcomm faces real competition in this space. MediaTek sells its Dimensity line directly against Qualcomm's midrange offerings, with the Dimensity 6300 already powering the 2026 Moto G Power. Google and Samsung have also developed their own in-house silicon for sub-$500 devices: the $499 Pixel 10A runs on Google's Tensor G4, while the $450 Galaxy A37 uses Samsung's Exynos 1680.
The announcement comes as electronics prices continue to climb, in part because of a global RAM shortage, putting renewed pressure on what buyers can realistically expect from phones that don't cost $800 or more. According to CNET, Wi-Fi 7 routers have also come down in price recently, making the standard more practical for home networks, which adds relevance to seeing it appear in chips aimed at value-focused handsets.
No confirmed release dates exist yet for phones carrying either the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 or Snapdragon 4 Gen 5. The chip market for budget devices remains crowded, and the gap between a chip announcement and an actual consumer device reaching store shelves can stretch months or longer.
