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Snapdragon 710 chip brings AI to cheaper phones in June

This is a good thing, especially if you live in China.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Expertise Content strategy, team leadership, audience engagement, iPhone, Samsung, Android, iOS, tips and FAQs.
Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read
oppo-r15-pro-8

Phones like the Oppo R15 Pro successor could get more tricks with Snapdragon 710.

Ian Knighton/CNET

By the end of June, a new wave of phones with trendy AI features will start to sell for less.

That's when the first handsets to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 processor will be ready for business. Mobile processors, or chipsets, are the brains behind everything from photo processing to device security and data speeds.

The nuts and bolts of chipsets can reach dizzying speeds, but the important thing to know is that the Snapdragon 710 will be able to bring premium features like AI for the phone's camera and ultra high-quality video to less expensive devices.

qualcomm-snapdragon-845

The Snapdragon 710 is kind of like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 "light".

Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Until now, you might only see that tier of features on the priciest phones like the Galaxy S9 , LG G7 and HTC U12 Plus.

Phonemakers will announce their own pricing, but devices that use Qualcomm's 710 chip should fall somewhere between the $900 premium price and roughly $300 budget set.

Here are some features you'll see come to these phones that won't be available in more midrange and budget handsets:

  • Camera's image processing that reduces noise in photos (called multi-frame reduction)
  • Portrait mode bokeh effect using one or two cameras
  • UltraHD Premium playback, for better video color
  • Fast data with X15 LTE Modem 4x4 MIMO for faster streaming
  • Adreno 6-series GPU
  • Face unlock with data stored in a separate, more secure part of the chipset

For some perspective, AI on phones using the Snapdragon 845 is two times faster than the AI on the 710, and gaming performance is also more than two times faster. Consider this class of devices to be "premium light".

But before you get too excited, these phones may be harder to find depending on where you live. The Snapdragon 710 is a global chip that will help devices selling in China and India, but you might also be able to buy some online or through retailers if you live in the US, UK and Australia.

Read: All about Qualcomm's Snapdragon 700 processors

Read: HTC U12 Plus says goodbye to real buttons