Prices for 5G phones are coming down. For example, Samsung's Galaxy A71 is the first 5G phone available for under $600, and a sub-$500 5G phone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 system-on-chip is also on the way. However, thanks to another 5G-enabled chipset from Qualcomm, even cheaper phones are on the way, and it will be clear how far the price will drop.

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 690, the first product in its Series 6 processing platform that includes 5G connectivity, with the addition of a 5G-enabled modem, as Series 6 chips are typically found in budget and mid-range handsets, The variety of 5G handsets will be expanded to include lower-priced handsets.

"We want to upgrade connectivity to 5G everywhere and make it affordable for everyone," said Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm, who unveiled the Snapdragon 690.

Until late last year, 5G connectivity was limited to Qualcomm's top-of-the-line chipsets, the 8 series. As a result, early 5G phones were very expensive, approaching and often exceeding the $1,000 mark. Qualcomm has since expanded 5G to the 7 series with Snapdragon 765, 765, and 768 processors, and a number of more affordable 5G phones are expected in late 2020. (Allegedly, Google will include the Snapdragon 765G in the Pixel 5 later this year.)

Qualcomm's 6 series chips are usually found in more affordable handsets; Motorola's recent Moto G series uses the Snapdragon 665, and these phones range in price from $199 to $299. The $449 TCL 10 Pro uses the Snapdragon 675. This means that a cell phone under $500 will have 5G, and it could be even cheaper.

As for which phones will feature the Snapdragon 690, we won't know until later this year, but several phone manufacturers have already announced plans to adopt the new chipset. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 690 announcement includes participation from LG, Motorola, TCL, and HMD Global, which makes Nokia handsets.

The 5G connectivity offered by the Snapdragon 690 comes with one caveat. The X51 modem included in the system-on-chip does not support faster mmWave-based 5G. While 5G in the sub-6GHz band is extensive, it cannot provide the 1Gbps speeds associated with mmWave

.

Qualcomm has stated that it wants to focus on broad adoption and entertainment capabilities with the Snapdragon 690. Reading between the lines, Qualcomm clearly wants this system-on-chip in devices worldwide.

5G is not Qualcomm's only focus with the Snapdragon 690. The chipset's Kryo 560 CPU promises a 20% performance boost over the Snapdragon 675, while the Adreno GPU improves graphics speed by 60%.

In addition to its 5G modem, the Snapdragon 690 boasts several other firsts. The image sensor on the silicon supports 192 megapixels, which according to Qualcomm is the highest MP capture available in the 6 series. In other words, more powerful cameras will be available in less expensive phones.

In addition, the Snapdragon 690 features Qualcomm's 5th generation AI engine and Hexagon Tensor Accelerator; the AI engine enables smooth switching between different lenses, and the Tensor Accelerator allows the phone's camera lenses to eliminate artifacts and delays when using live filters.