Qualcomm partners with ASUS to make a phone for “Snapdragon Insiders”

If you ever wished to see a smartphone made by Qualcomm, your dream is coming true. Qualcomm today announced its first-ever smartphone called the “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders.”  That’s a really odd name, but it gets a pass because it’s not directed at average users. Rather it’s meant for Snapdragon Insiders, a community of Snapdragon fans and enthusiasts that Qualcomm announced in March.

The phone is designed and manufactured by ASUS, who will also be handling the distribution and sales. This is the same phone that ASUS and Qualcomm have long been rumored to be working on. Back then, it was believed to be a gaming-centric phone. We even spotted it on TENNA with a mysterious Snapdragon logo slapped right in the middle. But little did we know it would turn out to be a phone for Snapdragon Insiders.

Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders: Specifications

Specification	Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders
Dimensions and Weight	173.15 x 77.25 x 9.5mm 210g
Display	6.78″ 20.4:9 (2448 x 1080) Samsung AMOLED 144Hz refresh rate Delta-E < 1 800 nits outdoor-readable brightness 1,200 nits peak brightness HDR10 and HDR10+ certified 111.23% DCI-P3, 106.87% NTSC, 150.89% sRGB color gamut coverage Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features
RAM and Storage	16GB LPDDR5 512GB UFS 3.1
Battery & Charging	4,000mAh battery 65W fast charger Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 support
Rear Camera	Primary: Sony IMX686 64 MP image sensor 1/1.73” large sensor size 0.8 µm pixel size f/1.8 aperture 26.6 mm equivalent focal length 6P lens 78.3° field of view 2×1 On-chip-lens phase detection autofocus 4-axis, optical image stabilization Dual LED flash Instant cameras switching Secondary: (Ultra-wide) Sony IMX363 12 MP dual pixel image sensor 1/2.55” sensor size 1.4 µm pixel size f/2.2 aperture Real-time distortion correction 4.3 mm equivalent focal length Supports 4 cm Macro shots Tertiary: (Telephoto) 8MP 3x optical zoom 12x digital zoom 8K video recording at 30fps 4K video recording at 60fps/30fps
Front Camera	24MP
Ports	USB Type-C port
Connectivity	3rd Gen Snapdragon X60 5G modem 5G: Sub-6GHz mmWave NFC Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi 6/Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Snapdragon Sound Navigation: GPS (L1/L5) GLONASS (L1) BDS(B1/B2a) GALILEO (E1/E5a) QZSS (L1/L5) NavIC (L5)
Audio & Security	Audio Dual stereo speakers Four HDR microphones with 111dB dynamic range Snapdragon Sound Technology with multiple listening profiles including music, videos, games, and voice enhancements Security Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 (rear-mounted)
Software	Android 11

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The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders is a unique phone in that it brings together the best of Qualcomm’s hardware and software technologies in one package. From processor and modem-RF system to charging protocol to sound, everything gets a Snapdragon touch.

The phone’s design is clearly inspired by the ROG Phone 5, but it doesn’t have the same loud back panel design. Instead, the back has an illuminated Snapdragon fireball logo and Snapdragon branding underneath. There’s no mention of ASUS anywhere on the phone.

Over on the front, you get a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz screen refresh rate, 111.23% DCI-P3 coverage, and 1200 nits peak brightness. On the inside, the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 888. Qualcomm tells us they skipped Snapdragon 888 Plus because the device went into development much earlier, and the regular 888 was the right choice at the time.

The triple camera setup is headlined by a 64MP Sony IMX686 primary shooter, flanked by a 12MP Sony IMX363 ultra-wide sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens. ASUS supplied the image processing software, so we can expect the overall image quality to be similar to recent ASUS phones.

The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders’ connectivity is its strongest suit. It has the most comprehensive support for all key 5G sub-6GHz and mmWave bands and combinations. It also has the 3rd Gen Snapdragon X60 5G modem and Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 system for the best in class Wi-Fi experience over Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E networks.

A 4,000mAh battery keeps the show running, and a 65W fast charger with Qualcomm Quick Charge 5.0 support ensures the battery is fully charged in under an hour.

The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders is also one of the first phones to support the Snapdragon Sound platform, which offers 24-bit, 96Hz music streaming over compatible earphones and headphones. On the software front, the device runs a near-stock version of Android 11 out of the box.

Pricing & Availability

If you consider yourself a Snapdragon fan and wish to get hold of the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders, get ready to empty your wallet. The phone will retail at an exorbitant price of $1400 in the US. It will also be making its way to the UK, Canada, Europe, and India. It will be available from ASUS’s website and other online retailers sometime in August. Those who purchase the phone will also receive a pair of MW08SI ANC TWS earbuds from Master & Dynamic.

The pricing for all regions is as follows:

• $1499 (US)
• £1099 (UK)
• €1299 (Europe)
• ₹111,990 (India)

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