Qualcomm has unveiled its new Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 mobile platforms, which will power smartphones by manufacturers like Realme, OPPO and Xiaomi that will be available in India in second half of 2026.
Succeeding previous chipsets like Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 and Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, launched in December and February last year, the new categories come with improved performance, better power savings, and high refresh-rate gaming to mass-market smartphones.
Speaking at the company’s ‘Snapdragon for India’ event, Akash Palkhiwala, Qualcomm’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, said the company sees India as integral to the next wave of AI-led computing transformation.
From Apps to Agents
“We’re about to see a second chapter and AI is going to come in,” Palkhiwala said, describing the transition from ‘app-centric interactions to agent-centric interactions,’ where AI agents could independently book rides, order food, or reserve hotels for users.
The executive also revealed that Qualcomm is preparing to enter the data centre and robotics segments to lead in AI computing and edge intelligence. “We are expanding into the data center… and we are expanding into robotics,” he said, adding that Qualcomm seeks to be a market leader in both performance and power efficiency across industries it participates in.
Palkhiwala highlighted how India’s growth is important within Qualcomm’s global operations, noting that the company designs products ‘in India, for India, and for the world’. He said Qualcomm employs around 19,000 people in India, its largest workforce outside San Diego and is working on multiple advanced 2-nanometre chip tape-outs from the country this year. The company has also announced a $150 million AI focused venture fund to help back the artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Gaming and Connectivity
Meanwhile, speaking on the new unveilings, Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets at Qualcomm, said the new platforms would address the growing consumer expectations around gaming, battery life, AI imaging and connectivity amid increasing device costs.
The Cristiano Amon-led chipmaker said that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 brings up to a 21% improvement in GPU performance for improved graphics and faster everyday interactions. In addition, it also integrates Qualcomm Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 while adding in support for Wi-Fi 7 and more 5G networks.
Moreover, Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 comes with a 77% improvement in GPU performance compared to its predecessor, as per the company. The chipset also supports 90FPS gaming, which the company says is a first for its budget processor lineup.
Industry analysts said the launches come at a time when Indian consumers are increasingly prioritising premium experiences even in affordable smartphone segments. According to Counterpoint Research data cited at the event, India’s premium smartphone segment above $500 grew 24% year-on-year, while buyers are becoming more processor-conscious.
Qualcomm currently holds a 22% share of the global smartphone chipset market, behind MediaTek’s 30%, according to Counterpoint Research.