Qualcomm wants to sell you a $1499 Snapdragon-branded smartphone, but with the help of Asus

Qualcomm on Thursday announced a Snapdragon-branded smartphone, its first attempt at experimenting with the hardware but with the help of Asus. The San Diego-based chip titan says the device, which the company is calling “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders” will showcase Qualcomm’s technologies at the forefront, be it the chip itself, sound technology, modem and camera prowess.

While the phone has all the quintessential Qualcomm technologies inside, it is Asus that has designed and manufactured the high-end device. The phone will be commercially available, beginning August this year, starting with the US, UK, Japan, Korea and China. The device will come to India, though Qualcomm has not given the release date yet. Asus will be taking care of selling the smartphone through its e-shop and channel partners.

Speaking of the device, the Snapdragon-branded smartphone comes with a 6.78-inch OLED display with a high refresh rate of 144Hhz, a Snapdragon 888 processor, Qualcomm’s third-generation X60 modem RF system, triple camera module for wide, ultra-wide and telephoto image capture, audio speakers with four mic input, 5G with support for both sub-6 and mmWave bands, 512GB storage and 16GB RAM, stock Android 11, and the second-generation 3D Sonic sensor for fast unlocking with wet or dried fingertips.

Qualcomm claims this is the first smartphone in the world to feature Snapdragon Sound technology. The phone natively supports 24-bit, 96kHz music streaming and ultra-low-latency for lag-free wireless gaming. To make the audio experience truly premium, the device comes bundled with high-end truly wireless earbuds from Master and Dynamic. Also, the box includes a fast charger supporting Quick Charge 5, a custom rubber bumper and a high-quality USC-C to USB-C braided cable.

Although its $1499 sticker price might shock some, Qualcomm has made it clear the phone targets Snapdragon insiders and enthusiasts. In fact, there are over 1.6 million Snapdragon Insiders spread across the world. Clearly, this isn’t a mass-consuming smartphone, which is why the phone is getting a limited release.