Qualcomm partners with ASUS to release an “enthusiast” smartphone

With all of the problems currently plaguing OnePlus and the OnePlus 9 series, there seems to be an opening for a new “enthusiast” smartphone. Qualcomm and ASUS have partnered together and are releasing a phone that hopes to fill that void with the “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders”. 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon Insiders program was announced earlier this year and is a community for those who are fans of Snapdragon products. If you join, you’ll be able to receive various rewards including Access Drops that give select creators access to whatever new and exciting things that Qualcomm is working on.

So back to this “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders”. It’s clear that this isn’t really a phone that will be marketed too much, as the name is just really awkward. What isn’t awkward is what this new smartphone has to offer.

Here’s a breakdown of the specs for this upcoming device:

• 6.78-inch AMOLED Display
• 144Hz Refresh Rate
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• 16GB of RAM
• 512GB of storage
• 4,000mAh Battery
• 65W Fast Charger w/ Quick Charge 5
• Cameras: 64MP (main) / 12MP (ultrawide) / 8MP (telephoto)
• 24MP Selfie Camera

At first glance, it’s easy to see where the ASUS influence came in, as this phone looks pretty similar to the ROG Phone 5 from earlier in the year. The front of the phone ditches any notches or hole-punch cutouts, instead, adding just a bit of a larger bezel at the top to hide the selfie camera. On the back, the triple camera module is arranged horizontally with a fingerprint scanner placed below and the Snapdragon logo in the middle of the phone.

What’s odd about this release is that Qualcomm’s own “enthusiast” phone is skipping the recently-announced Snapdragon 888+. According to Qualcomm, this was done because this new phone has been in development for some time, and the Snapdragon 888 was “the right choice”. You definitely won’t find any shortage of power here, as the SD888 is paired with a whopping 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Connectivity is off the charts, as it will work with all of the different LTE or 5G bands you could think of. This includes support for sub-6Ghz and mmWave bands offered by carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon. There’s also Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E support if you happen to own (or plan to own) one of the latest routers with this feature in tow.

Another key feature of the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders is the support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound. This offers 24-bit music streaming when using compatible headphones. Speaking of which, Qualcomm is including a pair of the Master & Dynamic MW08 earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation and some Qualcomm branding.

The Qualcomm Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders will launch sometime in August and will be arriving in the following countries:

• United States
• China
• United Kingdom
• Japan
• South Korea
• India

Pricing for this upcoming smartphone comes in at $1,499 here in the U.S., and you will be able to order it directly from ASUS. Qualcomm also confirmed that its device will be available through select online retailers, but those are unknown at this point.