There's a new way to tell if your device has best-in-class connectivity, but do you care?
Qualcomm hopes you'll care about Snapdragon Connect
What do you look for when you buy a new smartphone, laptop, or pretty much any mobile device? Design perhaps, maybe the amount of storage, you may want to check the camera specs, or screen size, price is likely an important point - but what about the connectivity?
Qualcomm - a company whose business it is to put connectivity in our devices - unsurprisingly believes this is an important point to flag to consumers, and to do just that it has revealed Snapdragon Connect at MWC 2022 - a badge applied to products it believes have best-in-class 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The badge won't just be applied to smartphones and laptops, but a range of products which require its connectivity services, including VR/AR headsets, gaming handhelds, connected cars and in the future, wearables too.
Not every device will be eligible for a Snapdragon Connect badge however, as Qualcomm has a list of requirements products need to meet to qualify.
Only certain devices make the cut
Smartphones and laptops with a Snapdragon Connect badge will support 5G, 5G mmWave, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1+ at a minimum, along with a range of other features. This opens up the door to multi-gigabit connections for super speedy downloads and uploads.
So why should you care? Our lives are increasingly going more and more online, and the cloud is the center of this - whether it’s streaming gaming content or harnessing the power of edge computing, your connection for these activities is vital.
Future devices will need to be able to access super-high speed internet to keep our experiences flowing without interruptions. Qualcomm won't be the only firm touting its connectivity chops however, and this move could well spark the rest of the market into producing similar graphics in an attempt to catch the eyes of consumers.
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Let us know what you think
Take part in our Twitter poll and let us know whether the inclusion of the Snapdragon Connect badge would sway your decision-making process when purchasing a new device.
How important is connectivity (5G / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) in your decision making process when choosing which phone / laptop / gaming handheld you're going to buy?February 28, 2022
- MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest showcase for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting on the show all week. Follow our MWC 2022 live blog for the very latest news as it happens and visit our dedicated MWC 2022 hub for a round-up of the biggest announcements.
John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.