Snapdragon 8 Elite Could Continue Being Used In ‘Price To Performance’ Devices, With A Rumor Claiming That The Affordable Smartphone Featuring Qualcomm’s Flagship SoC Will Cost Less Than $350

Qualcomm’s introduction of the Snapdragon 8 Elite with its in-house Oryon cores and TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process signaled that the company wanted to maintain its technological prowess while competing with Apple. Unfortunately, this decision might have given Android smartphone makers access to the world’s best silicon, but its expensive price meant that the company’s partners would have to make compromises elsewhere to maintain profits. Fortunately, with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 launch happening on September 23, Qualcomm is rumored to keep its current high-end SoC around, with the most affordable smartphone featuring the chipset rumored to cost less than $350.

Xiaomi’s Redmi K90 could be the world’s most affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphone, but its low price could be accompanied by a few compromises

As you would expect, the upcoming Redmi range will give consumers on a budget a ton of freedom if they want a Snapdragon 8 Elite smartphone as their daily driver without coughing up a ton of cash for it. MyDrivers reports that the Redmi K90 features the unique number 2510DRK44C and is codenamed Annibale. Since the Snapdragon 8 Elite is still an exceptional performer, both in performance and efficiency, Qualcomm and its partners have the opportunity to generate more sales with this approach.

Then again, this strategy is not any different from what Apple does, as it is an excellent way to offer customers exceptional value on non-flagship products without dumping its chipset inventory. However, while the Redmi K90 may become the best ‘price to performance’ smartphone, Xiaomi’s non-flagship series often comes with a few trade-offs. Firstly, its price is said to be 2,500 yuan, which directly converts to $348, but for that price, the display and camera hardware could be downgraded.

Devices in this price range do not have sufficient wiggle room to reduce costs elsewhere, especially when a Snapdragon 8 Elite is part of the specifications. However, if the customer’s only preference is carrying around a top-end smartphone with the second-best silicon in existence after the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2, the Redmi K90 is targeted at you. It is possible that Qualcomm begins selling the Snapdragon 8 Elite at a discount, prompting multiple partners to equip their devices with this SoC instead of opting for the latest and greatest.

News Source: MyDrivers