After months of rumors about prolific chipset maker Qualcomm teaming up with Asus to develop a super-powerful gaming smartphone, the thing has finally been announced: meet the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders. Yep, that’s the name – pretty literal, but sure.
This is a showcase for everything Qualcomm. It has the company’s powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, a fingerprint sensor it designed, Snapdragon Sound for lossless Bluetooth audio, its own fast-charging battery tech and more. The phone was designed in collaboration with Asus, drawing on lots of that company’s hardware smarts.
Despite being called a smartphone ‘for Snapdragon Insiders’ – i.e., for members of Qualcomm’s community of tech fans – anyone can buy the new phone, if they like its look – and can afford it. It’s going on sale from Asus’ website from August, in a few regions like the US and UK, and will cost $1,499 / £1,099 (roughly AU$2,020, though it won’t be going on sale in Australia).
Why the ludicrously high price? Well, if you buy the phone, you’re not getting it on its own – it comes in a box with some headphones (as a showcase for the Snapdragon Sound), a fast-charging block (so you can enjoy the Qualcomm Quick Charge powering) and a case. With all that in mind, though, it’s still far from a competitive price.
Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders specs
The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders – we’re still struggling to believe that’s actually the name, even this…
