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Sunday 5 July 2009
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Qualcomm aims for PC-like mobiles by 2009
Monday 24 September 2007
The design of mobile phones will move closer to PC-like platforms within the next two years, according to a handset specialist at Qualcomm’s chipset business.
He also believes that the Apple iPhone will help to drive this trend.
“The biggest impact it will have is on the user experience. The touchscreen, for example, my guess is everyone will adopt that,” Alex Katouzian, v-p of product management at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, told EW.
Katouzian defined the next generation PC handset as sitting between a Blackbery type handset and a fully functional laptop.
“As the laptop first complimented and then replaced the desktop PC, I expect a convergence PC/mobile to eventually replace the laptop,” said Katouzian.
Katouzian said that Qualcomm was already sampling chipsets to support this more PC-like mobile handset. “I expect first end products in one year to 18 months,” said Katouzian.
A mobile operator, such as Vodafone, may specify as many as 2,000 features for the handset. Not all will be incorporated but the chipset suppliers need to match as many of the operator’s requirements as possible. “We need to guess many of the features two years in advance, if we wait for the operator to tell us it is too late,” said Katouzian.
Katouzian divides the handset market in to specific cost defined segments which the company targets with chipsets with a range of performance and functions.
“There is the low cost handset market, the mid-range with multimedia functions and the high end where there is PC/mobile convergence,” said Katouzian.
According to Katouzian, the main technology issue at present is greater integration of the modem chipset with the applications processor.
He also believes that the Apple iPhone will help to drive this trend.
“The biggest impact it will have is on the user experience. The touchscreen, for example, my guess is everyone will adopt that,” Alex Katouzian, v-p of product management at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, told EW.
Katouzian defined the next generation PC handset as sitting between a Blackbery type handset and a fully functional laptop.
“As the laptop first complimented and then replaced the desktop PC, I expect a convergence PC/mobile to eventually replace the laptop,” said Katouzian.
Katouzian said that Qualcomm was already sampling chipsets to support this more PC-like mobile handset. “I expect first end products in one year to 18 months,” said Katouzian.
A mobile operator, such as Vodafone, may specify as many as 2,000 features for the handset. Not all will be incorporated but the chipset suppliers need to match as many of the operator’s requirements as possible. “We need to guess many of the features two years in advance, if we wait for the operator to tell us it is too late,” said Katouzian.
Katouzian divides the handset market in to specific cost defined segments which the company targets with chipsets with a range of performance and functions.
“There is the low cost handset market, the mid-range with multimedia functions and the high end where there is PC/mobile convergence,” said Katouzian.
According to Katouzian, the main technology issue at present is greater integration of the modem chipset with the applications processor.
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