Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 480 is the first low-end SoC that packs 5G

Qualcomm is making 5G more accessible in 2021 and beyond with its new Snapdragon 480, the first low-end SoC with 5G connectivity.

Anthony Garreffa

Gaming Editor

Published Jan 6, 2021 1:19 AM CST
Updated Feb 1, 2021 7:33 AM CST

1-minute read time

Qualcomm has just announced its new Snapdragon 480 SoC, the first low-end 5G SoC -- the company teased this would happen a few months ago, but now the day is here.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 480 is the first low-end SoC that packs 5G 06

The new Snapdragon 480 has a built-in X51 modem that supports mmWave and Sub-6GHz bands, as well as standalone and non-standalone deployments. In a nutshell, the Snapdragon 480 will give you 5G on virtually any 5G network in use today.

We're looking at up to 2.5Gbps download speeds on the X51 modem, with upload speeds topping out at about 660Mbps. Qualcomm is manufacturing the new Snapdragon 480 processor on the 8nm node, tacking on next-gen CPU and GPUs onto it that deliver up to twice the performance of the previous-gen Snapdragon 460.

Read more: OnePlus Nord N100 smartphone: 90Hz display, only costs $179

We should expect to see entry-level and cheaper smartphones from the likes of Chinese smartphones giants in OnePlus and Oppo to tap the new Snapdragon 480 processors in their new smartphones throughout 2021.

Anthony Garreffa

Gaming Editor

Anthony joined TweakTown in 2010 and has since reviewed 100s of tech products. Anthony is a long time PC enthusiast with a passion of hate for games built around consoles. FPS gaming since the pre-Quake days, where you were insulted if you used a mouse to aim, he has been addicted to gaming and hardware ever since. Working in IT retail for 10 years gave him great experience with custom-built PCs. His addiction to GPU tech is unwavering and has recently taken a keen interest in artificial intelligence (AI) hardware.