Qualcomm’s newest processor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, debuts Wednesday with a focus on bringing better gaming, photography and AI capabilities to more of the midrange phone market.
While Qualcomm’s highest-end Snapdragon 8 Elite processors are currently debuting in high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 line and the OnePlus 13, the Snapdragon 6 line of processors typically features in more-affordable devices like Motorola’s Moto G Stylus phones that cost around $400 in the US.
Processors are an important part of phones, as they provide the power and capabilities for running hardware like the screen and cameras. Qualcomm says this new processor features improvements in power savings to potentially extend battery life, along with CPU improvements compared with prior Snapdragon 6 chipsets. There’s also support for Bluetooth 5.4 and for Qualcomm’s aptX lossless audio.
Though the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 is the first of its line to support generative AI features, Qualcomm didn’t specify any that would be coming to the chip (and thus phones using it). Perks from high-end chips generally trickle down to the low end over time, but it’s unclear if any of the most advanced generative AI perks in the Snapdragon 8 Elite, like AI-directed selfie lighting and using the camera to recognize objects in real time, will make it to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. If they do, it’s still up to phonemakers to choose which to build into their devices.
The Snapdragon 6 line typically arrives in phones that cost around $400 in the US, such as Motorola’s Moto G Stylus.
Other features are similar to those found in Qualcomm’s prior Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, which include support for 200-megapixel cameras and Wi-Fi 6E support.
Qualcomm says that in the coming months, the processor is expected to arrive in phones made my Realme, Oppo and Honor. The processor announcement is rather timely, as a number of phones that would likely compete against devices running the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 are rumored to be getting unveiled in the near future. The biggest at the moment are rumors of a new iPhone SE potentially hitting stores as soon as this week, replacing the current model that sells for $429. Other rumors are pointing to possible refreshes for Samsung’s and Google’s own midrange devices, with a possible Galaxy A56 and Pixel 9A potentially being revealed at some point this spring.
