Qualcomm Launches Its Own Phone, It's Expensive But Less Sophisticated

Qualcomm's new mobile phone, expensive but claimed to be less sophisticated. (photo: qualcomm illustration)

JAKARTA - Qualcomm, the company that develops Snapdragon processors and modems that power almost every Android smartphone, is now starting to make its own phones. The company partnered with Asus on a special device officially called the “Smartphone for Insiders Snapdragon.”

The phone, which will cost around $1,500, is designed to showcase the chip company's technology. As the name suggests, Qualcomm will sell the phone directly to members of the Snapdragon Insider fan community, which Qualcomm launched earlier this year.

Unfortunately, Smartphones for Snapdragon Insiders don't seem to be doing anything any different than other phones, when it comes to actually take advantage of Qualcomm's technology, than other Android flagships. Even a very disappointing phone was sold for 1,500 US dollars.

The specifications of the phone will keep up with the flagship Android phones of 2021. The smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders uses Android 11, has 512GB storage, 16GB RAM, 6.78-inch, 144Hz Samsung OLED panel with Gorilla Glass Victus.

This phone also has a rear fingerprint scanner that uses Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 technology. If any of that sounds familiar, it's likely because the new Qualcomm-branded device seems to have a lot in common with Asus' ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, earlier this year.

The processor, of course, is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. This is certainly strange considering the company has announced the production of the more powerful 888 Plus model. From the ridiculously high price tag and the promise of being the best Qualcomm phone ever, this phone is certainly odd, because it doesn't use their most advanced technology.

In terms of battery, the phone only offers 4000 mAh of power. It's not the greatest amount of power ever in a smartphone, but it's enough to support Qualcomm's Quick Charge 5 standard, though not at its full potential, maxing out at 65W for charging instead of 100W, plus a speed the specs theoretically can afford.

The back of the phone has a triple camera setup, with parts familiar from other Asus phones. The main camera is equipped with a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 image sensor — the same as the one found on last year's Zenfone 7 Pro.

For the ultrawide sensor, the older 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor is used. It's also been used on previous Asus phones, as well as some Google Pixel phones. Lastly, there's an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom to complete the camera setup and a 24-megapixel front camera.

Qualcomm promises that the triple camera array will offer a "professional-quality camera" experience, but it won't push the Spectra 580's triple ISP to its limits either. While the phone can shoot 8K at 30 frames per second, and 4K at 30 or 60FPS, it can't manage to shoot three streams of 4K HDR video simultaneously or shoot three 28-megapixel photos at once, two of the biggest claims Qualcomm made when it introduced the Snapdragon 888. last December.

Smartphones for Snapdragon Insiders will be among the first phones to offer Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Sound classification, which promises hi-fi music playback at up to 24-bit 96kHz.

Qualcomm also includes some Master & Dynamic earbuds in the box. But it looks like a pair of MW08 earbuds with the Snapdragon logo on them. The headphones usually sell for 299 US dollars (4.3 million rupiahs), certainly not worth the 1500 US dollar price tag.

But there is something that might stand out from this Snapdragon phone because of its 5G support. Qualcomm boasts that the phone will offer “the most comprehensive support for all sub-6 and mmWavebands key 5G and combinations in a single device.” There's also support for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, as well as Bluetooth 5.2.

In addition to the phone and headphones, Qualcomm also includes 65W Quick Charge 5.0 charging, USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables, and a rubber bumper for the phone. But with all those features, Snapdragon Insiders looks like it's going to be a tough sell. The reason is that there are many top Android phones that offer the same or even better specifications at a much cheaper price. For examples like OnePlus 9 Pro or Galaxy S21 Ultra.