Snapdragon released its first Gen 5 chips with the introduction of the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the standard 8 Gen 5. Now with the launch of this chip, it is said to provide a snappier UI, better battery endurance, and a more capable gaming experience on budget devices. So yeah, in this article, I will discuss everything you need to know about this new chipset, including its specs, features, and more.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 Overview:

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 chip is manufactured on TSMC's 4nm process node, like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4. The Snew SoC targets the lower- to mid-range devices.

CPU – Day to Day Performance

Regarding the CPU, the new Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 now comes with a similar core and thread setup to the previous generation chip, but with slightly higher clock speeds.

Here's a comparison with the previous generation:

The bump in performance core clock speed over the previous generation may seem small on paper, but in real life, it translates into noticeably snappier app launches and quicker app switching.

For the first time in this tier, Qualcomm is bringing its Smooth Motion UI technology to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5. Qualcomm claims up to 25% less screen stutter and 43% faster app launches compared to the previous generation.

Gaming at 90 FPS — a first for this segment

One of the biggest headlines for this chip is its support for 90 FPS gaming, which is already confirmed for popular titles like BGMI. Previously, achieving smooth frame rates in this chip tier meant settling for 60 FPS or relying on inconsistent performance.

The Adreno GPU powering the 4 Gen 5 also supports Vulkan 1.3 and OpenGL ES 3.2, meaning it handles the graphics demands of most mainstream Android games without breaking a sweat. Qualcomm also claims to outperform the closest competitor in this segment by a significant margin of 54%.

Cameras

The Qualcomm Spectra ISP on the 4 Gen 5 now supports up to 108 MP photo capture. For video recording, you get 1080p dual-camera recording at 30 FPS and 720p slow-motion at 120 FPS.

Other camera features include Intelligent Face Detection, Multi-Frame Noise Reduction, Motion Compensated Temporal Filtering, and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). Auto-white balance, autofocus, and auto-exposure are also handled on-device. 

Connectivity and 5G

On the wireless side, the all-new 4 Gen 5 still ships with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, along with Bluetooth 5.1. Neither of these is cutting-edge, but both are more than enough for streaming, calls, and wireless audio at this price point.

A more significant upgrade is the 5G connectivity with downlink speeds of up to 2.8 Gbps and uplink speeds reaching up to 900 Mbps. This chip also comes with Dual SIM Dual Active support, meaning both SIM slots can maintain active 5G connections simultaneously. For users who carry two SIMs, this is truly a quality-of-life upgrade. Other than this, we also have Qualcomm's Smart Network Select 3.0 and AI-Enhanced Signal Boost, which automatically keep the chip on the strongest available signal.

For navigation, it comes with GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC, and QZSS, with dual-frequency GNSS (L1 + L5) for improved accuracy in urban environments.

Display, Memory, and Charging

The chip supports FHD+ displays at up to 144 Hz, which gives OEM brands room to offer smooth, high-refresh screens without jumping up a chip tier. Memory support includes LP-DDR4x at 2133 MHz, UFS 3.1 2-lane storage, and Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 for fast charging. The USB interface is Type-C, which is now standard even at the low end.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 (SM4850)  specifications

• Processor: Qualcomm Kryo CPU, 2+6 cores (2x 2.4 GHz + 6x 2.0 GHz), TSMC 4nm
• Graphics: Adreno GPU with OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.3
• Memory: LP-DDR4x RAM up to 2133 MHz, UFS 3.1 storage
• Camera ISP: Dual 12-bit ISPs, up to 108 MP
• Video: Up to 1080p 30 FPS and 720p/120 FPS slow-motion
• Audio: Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec, Qualcomm aptX audio
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, NavIC (L1 + L5), QZSS
• Display: up to FHD+ with support for 144 Hz
• Charging: Quick Charge 5, USB-C 2.0 Gen 1

Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 Availability in Nepal

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is expected to power several upcoming mid-range smartphones, with Qualcomm already confirming that future OPPO, realme, and REDMI devices will feature the chipset.

• Meanwhile, watch our video on iPhone 17 vs S26 vs Xiaomi 17 vs Vivo X300