Qualcomm Technologies has extended 4G LTE to lower tier smartphones with the launch of a new Snapdragon processor for entry level devices.
The company said the new chipset would be used to help spur growth in emerging markets as well as more established LTE countries keen to stimulate adoption of 4G contracts. It said the Snapdragon 210 processor would help manufacturers produce high quality devices that would cost less than €100.
The Snapdragon 210 offers Cat 4 carrier aggregation, LTE broadcast compatibility and added LTE data support for dual-SIMs. A quad-CPU and Adreno 304 graphics processor unit (GPU) can support mobile gaming and power cameras of up to 8MP. Full-1080p HD playback with hardware high efficiency video coding is also featured.
Qualcomm said it expects the chip to hit the market during the first half of next year.
Jeff Lorbeck, SVP and COO of Qualcomm Technologies in China, commented: “We are committed to delivering high-performance connected mobile experiences across all tiers of our product portfolio. These announcements further cement our commitment in broadly driving LTE and LTE-Advanced to enable our customers the flexibility to deliver high-speed connectivity and an advanced mobile experience at affordable prices.”
Elsewhere, the company released its first reference designs for LTE-enabled tablets, which it said will enable manufacturers to introduce a new class of multimode devices. Initial versions of the tablet reference design will be available with the Snapdragon 210 and 410 processors.Â
The 410 will be able to run the latest version of the Android operating system, features the Adreno 306 GPU for gaming and can also support Cat 4 speeds of up to 150MBps. It is also available in a smartphone configuration.
The company also released new 28nm transceivers, which can support LTE and LTE-A on devices running the Snapdragon 210 or 410, as well as new radio frequency products. It said its new RF360 power amplifiers would make it easier to support LTE and LTE-A in different regions, as well as increase performance and reduce the drain on battery. ​
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