Asus and Qualcomm drop Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders
TL; DR
- Qualcomm and Asus have just launched the first commercial phone with Snapdragon branding: the smartphone for Snapdragon insiders.
- The phone is essentially an optimized Asus ROG Phone 5. There are also a range of companion earbuds with Snapdragon branding.
- You can purchase the pair of products as a package for a whopping $ 1,499 from August 2021.
Now, however, Qualcomm is stepping into the spotlight. The company has just launched its first Snapdragon branded smartphone, awkwardly dubbed the smartphone for Snapdragon insiders. The name refers to the Snapdragon Insiders program, a social media initiative that Qualcomm launched earlier this year.
Qualcomm didn’t really develop the phone, however. Asus has taken on these tasks, which is why the phone looks very similar to the Asus ROG Phone 5 series. It does introduce a few upgrades (and downgrades), however.
In addition, Qualcomm and Asus are also launching a line of Snapdragon earbuds. The buds will come with the phone and a selection of accessories for $ 1,499 starting August 2021.
Smartphone for snapdragon insiders
As mentioned earlier, for Snapdragon Insiders, the smartphone shares its core DNA with the Asus ROG Phone 5. It has many similar specs: a Snapdragon 888 chipset, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 512GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage, and Android 11. It has a 6.78-inch Full HD + OLED display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz that is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus. It has 65W wired charging and wireless charging.
There are a few differences, however. The SFSI is a bit lighter (210 g vs 239 g), which is mainly due to a smaller battery (4,000 mAh vs 6,000 mAh). It also doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which was one of the highlights of the ROG Phone 5.
See also: The best phones with a headphone jack
The smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders, however, has a much better camera. It preserves the 64 MP IMX686 main lens as well as the 12 MP wide angle lens. However, it dispenses with the 5 MP macro camera and replaces it with an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. That is certainly a nice advantage.
The most interesting change, however, is that the SFSI doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint sensor. Instead, its sensor is capacitive and on the back. Qualcomm says this sensor works fine with wet or dry fingers, so that’s probably the main reason for this change.
What’s included for $ 1,499?
You don’t just get the phone when you buy the smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders. At $ 1,499, that’s probably a huge relief!
The most notable addition to the package are the true wireless active noise canceling headphones. They were developed in collaboration with Master & Dynamic and have 24-bit 96 kHz audio quality. However, they have kind of a chunky design.
Elsewhere in the box you’ll find a 65W charger, braided USB-C cable, and a custom-made protective rubber cover.
Qualcomm and Asus are not giving an exact date for the smartphone’s release to Snapdragon insiders. They say it will end up in the United States, China, Germany, Britain, Japan, South Korea, and eventually India. The rollout begins in August with Asus selling the phone through its online shop.
Stay tuned for more information on how to get this yourself.
