Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 is the result of three years worth of effort, and to be honest, it shows. However, while it might be a major deal for the company in terms of development, Qualcomm’s partners are probably not too happy with the decision the chipset manufacturer has taken with its flagship silicon. This could be the reason why companies like Google and LG are choosing not to employ the Snapdragon 865 in its premium lineup of future handsets. The price is too high.

Qualcomm Forcing Companies Like Google and LG to Purchase a Standalone 5G Modem Is Probably the Reason Why They Are Opting for a Cheaper Option

There was an earlier rumor stating that the LG G9 would ship with a Snapdragon 765 instead of a Snapdragon 865. Since the Korean manufacturer already launched the V60 ThinQ fueled by Qualcomm’s most powerful chipset, one would guess that it would make sense for LG to opt for a cheaper option. However, a report from Ars Technica details that Qualcomm has made it mandatory for phone makers to purchase a separate Snapdragon X55 5G modem to pair with the Snapdragon 865.

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This means not just paying extra money for the Snapdragon X55 5G modem, but additional component costs will be incurred when changing the internal design, adding a better cooling solution, and a separate power delivery system for both the chipset and modem. This makes things a lot more challenging for manufacturers, which is one reason why Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series start from $999 when the cheapest flagship offered in 2019 from the company costs $749.

According to the report, both Google and LG are opting for the Snapdragon 765G, but not because it’s just saving them money. It’s Qualcomm’s first SoC to sport an embedded 5G modem saving manufacturers a ton of design hassles. Sure, the Snapdragon X52 5G modem working with the Snapdragon 765G isn’t as fast as the Snapdragon X55 if you check out our direct specifications comparison, but it’s much faster than LTE networks, making it the obvious choice.

The obvious trade-off is users shouldn’t expect the same performance as they would from a flagship powered by a Snapdragon 865. What they can look forward to is a more affordable flagship, but it’s also up to the manufacturers to provide more selling points for customers to encourage them to upgrade.

Still think Google should use the Snapdragon 865 for its upcoming Pixel 5? Why not read our op-ed piece and see why a Snapdragon 765G is the better option.

News Source: Ars Technica