Here's why 5G phones are likely to get cheaper in 2020

• Qualcomm has announced two new mid-range chipsets with 5G support built in.
  
• Smartphones with these new chipsets are expected to arrive in 2020.
  
• With 5G now supported by mid-range chipsets, competition in the smartphone industry could lead to 5G phones getting cheaper in 2020.
  

The year 2019 has seen smartphone makers launch a lot of interesting devices, but the two real standout features are undoubtedly 5G and foldable displays.

Smartphone makers like Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus launched their first 5G phones this year, but they weren’t affordable for many Indians waiting for the 5G era. The cost of developing 5G modems and integrating it in the smartphone has proved to be costly in the early days.


Enter Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chipsets

However, that could change in 2020. Chipset maker Qualcomm has recently announced three new chipsets with 5G support – Snapdragon 865, Snapdragon 765 and Snapdragon 765G.


While the Snapdragon 865 chipset is a high-end product, the Snapdragon 765 and 765G are aimed at the mid-range smartphones. In addition to this, these new chipsets include an in-built 5G modem, which means smartphone makers will not have to pay anything extra for a 5G modem.

Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager, mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, said, “Our expanded portfolio including Snapdragon 765 and 765G has the potential to make 5G accessible to billions of smartphone users around the world and help enable experiences like high-speed gaming, intelligent multi-camera capture, and all-day battery life, on a global scale.”

With almost all major Android smartphone makers using Qualcomm chipsets, it is very likely that 5G phones will go mainstream in 2020. The only major smartphone maker that doesn’t use Qualcomm’s chipsets is Huawei, but it has its own 5G chipset already.

Some of the major 5G phone launches in 2020 will be the Galaxy S11 series and the OnePlus 8 series. Xiaomi is all set to launch ten new 5G phones in 2020 as it looks to capitalize on the 5G buzz.