The first ARM-based
netbook will come not from a traditional PC OEM but from a wireless
carrier - AT&T - according to the CEO of
Qualcomm,
Paul Jacobs, speaking to his company's investor conference in New
York.
The Netbook, using a
Snapdragon chip-set incorporating an ARM core, will be
manufactured by Lenovo and officially launched at the Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2010.
Jacobs said that he thought the wireless carriers are becoming
more enthusiastic about embracing new data services models.
Research by Deutsche Bank says that, while Blackberry and the
iPhone had only 3 per handset market share last year, 35% of the
operating profits of the network operators were generated on those
two phones.
AT&T has been looking at generating data revenues by selling
laptop dongles. Adding Netbooks tied to a service contract, or a
pay-as-you-go model tied to their network, is a new way to boost
their data revenues.
Motorola
recently launched a range of phones which use Google's
Android
OS to facilitate social networking which is the most voracious
consumer of wireless data usage.
Although there have been many designs of ARM-based Netbooks,
which are said to have been prepared for volume production by
various electronics contract manufacturers, none of the traditional
computer manufacturers has stepped forward to OEM one of those
designs.
However the wireless carriers, challenged by falling voice
revenues on their networks, have to find new sources of revenue.
And the main new source is data. Furthermore, it seems that it is
the hardware manufacturers, with data-optimised terminals, who are
the main driving force persuading peoples to consume more wirless
data.
See also:
Mannerisms, the blog of David Manners. Updated twice daily,
it's the distinctive, entertaining, authoritative and never dull
commentary on the semiconductor industry, from someone who knows.
Sign up for the Mannerisms eNewsletter.