Motorola, TI to develop 3G-WiMAX handsets

Texas Instruments and Motorola will jointly develop 3G and WiMAX handsets, using TI silicon. The new low-cost multimedia mobile devices will likely ship in 2008. TI will develop a chipset to Motorola specifications, which will include TI solutions. TI will also make the chip in its own fabrication plants and is providing a similar customized solution for Motorola's 3G chips.

Telephony Magazine notes that although Motorola did not designate TI as the exclusive provider of the WiMAX chipset, its decision does raise questions about how much larger a part in the WiMAX ecosystem Intel is playing in Sprint's planned Mobile WiMAX network. Sprint named Intel as one of its partners in the nation-wide WiMAX network it is building. Other partners include Samsung, which is developing its own WiMAX silicon, and Nokia. Nokia has not yet revealed its silicon supplier, but the company has had a long relationship with TI.

Sprint Nextel said it would spend $3 billion to build an entire Web-based phone network in the U.S. dedicated to Mobile WiMAX.

For more on the Motorola-TI deal:
- see this Motorola press release 
- Kevin Fitchard's Telephony report 
- Loring Wirbel's EETimes report