Android users not wanting to splash out on an expensive flagship are in for a treat. US technology giant Qualcomm has just confirmed the launch of a powerful new processor that is about to bring some massive performance gains to mid-range call makers. In fact, it's so fast, it looks set to make millions of ageing Android devices look seriously inferior.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip will arrive in new phones within the next few months and looks set to offer owners more power, better battery life and improved Artificial Intelligence (AI). Qualcomm is boasting that its new brain has a CPU which is 27 percent faster than before and a GPU that offers 30 percent better performance.

That should make phones with this chip inside feel much more like a flagship along with boosting things such as gaming, launching apps and chatting with AI assistants such as Google's Gemini.

Qualcomm also reckons the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 will help devices shoot better photos and provide higher audio quality when listening to music and watching movies. That's thanks to it being backed by Snapdragon Sound technology and Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network which enhances audio streaming quality.

It's also compatible with the latest 5G data speeds along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 technology.

There's no word yet on what phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 but manufacturers incuding HONOR and Vivo have confirmed they will announce new as soon as this month.

Of course, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 won't match the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite (found in flagships such as the Galaxy S25 and new Xperia 1) but it will certainly improve things for those speeding a little less on the devices.

"With the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 Mobile Platform, we are delivering new levels of possibilities in the 7-series with AI-driven experiences built directly into the hardware, making it easier than ever for users to capture, create, and share,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“Backed by Snapdragon Sound technology and packed with premium audio technologies, including the first-ever support for Qualcomm Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology outside the 8-series, this platform brings cutting-edge multimedia experiences to a broader audience.”