Qualcomm is betting on growing support for China’s homegrown TD-LTE 4G standard, by including the technology in its latest breed of Snapdragon smartphone processors.
The CDMA pioneer yesterday launched a China-specific version of its newest Snapdragon S4 mobile processor, which can handle UMTS, TD-SCDMA and CDMA in addition to the 4G technology. Qualcomm is targeting the silicon at mid-tier smartphones for the Chinese market, however it is likely to pick up business outside the country due to growing international backing for the standard.
Qualcomm’s Chinese processor sits alongside two updated S4 chips designed for entry-level smartphones in other markets, which can handle larger displays than previous versions, and HD video.
“By offering both dual-core and quad-core CPU versions of the Snapdragon S4 Play processor, we are providing our OEM and operating partners a competitive and differentiated platform,” Cristiano Amon, senior vice president and co-president of mobile and computing products at the firm, says.