Qualcomm covers entry-level smartphone base

Qualcomm responds to rising demand for low-end smartphones by upgrading its Snapdragon 200 processor range with the dual- and quad-core devices in 28nm manufacturing process technology.

Although Qualcomm is recognised as the market leader in smartphone application processors with more than 40 per cent market share, it is thought to be hurting under competition from the likes of MediaTek and Spreadtrum at the low end.

Qualcomm's profit fell below expectations in its second quarter financial results and this was thought to be due to intense competition in China and emerging markets that are rapidly adopting smartphones but at lower price points than prestige models.

The original Snapdragon 200s were implemented in 45nm CMOS and based on quad-core Cortex-A5 cores licensed from ARM and specified to operate at up to 1.4GHz clock frequency. The 28nm upgrade is based on Cortex-A7 "little" processors specified to operate at up to 1.2GHz. Qualcomm said the 28nm upgrade feature key modem technologies that are important in China and emerging regions, including support for HSPA+ at up to 21 Mbit/s download speed and TD-SCDMA.

Qualcomm has also upgraded the graphics from Adreno 203 to Adreno 302 although it supports the same 720p display resolution. The processors will have support for dual cameras, with an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and up to a 5 megapixel front-facing one, as well as feature a single platform for all SIM variants Qualcomm will be release Qualcomm Reference Designs which provide the basics of a mobile phone with customisation options, support for testing and acceptance by regional operators and for access to hardware components suppliers and application developers.

To date more than 40 equipment makers have used the Qualcomm QRD programme to launch more than 250 products in 17 countries, Qualcomm said.

"We are excited to offer our customers the broadest range of 3G technologies and superior performance and power-efficiency, enabling them to deliver a wide range of innovative smartphones for the high-volume segment," said Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., in a statement.

- Peter Clarke
??EE Times