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Qualcomm Creates More Efficient Multimedia Cell Phone Chip

5:45 am on February 7, 2006 | Category: Mobile Devices, Wireless Technology

CDMA technology pioneer, Qualcomm, has recently developed a new chip that will bring a number of multimedia features to entry-level handsets sold in India.

At the moment, the cheapest cell phones on the Indian market sell for about $39, with only basic voice features and a monochromatic display. The new technology, however, would allow for entry-level handsets to include numerous multimedia features, including polyphonic ringtones, MP3 players, and built-in digital cameras.

Industry sources say that a phone with all these features could sell for as little as $45 with the help of the new Qualcomm technology.

â€œVendors are testing these chips and designing entry-level phones around them,â€ said Qualcommâ€™s senior director of strategic marketing, Clint McClellan. â€œThe handsets are likely to be available in India by the end of ’06 or the first quarter of ’07.â€

New technologies like this could ultimately have the potential to increasingly bridge the divide between rich and poor, by bringing advanced multimedia features to the masses, even in emerging markets like India.

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