Qualcomm expected to license production of 3.5G modules to Taiwan makers

3 April 2008
Qualcomm is expected to license the production of its 3.5G module, the Gobi, to Taiwan-based EMS companies and notebook makers, now that it has been certified by a number of telecom operators, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone and Telefonica, according to market sources in Taiwan.
Since Hewlett-Packard (HP) has decided to design-in Qualcomm's Gobi modules into its notebooks, while Dell is also likely to follow suit before long, notebooks featuring the Gobi modules are expected to hit the market in the second quarter of this year, the sources noted.
Qualcomm is expected to outsource the production of chips for Gobi modules to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) using its 65nm process technology, the sources indicated.
On the other hand, Qualcomm, as a solution vendor, is likely to team up with Taiwan-based EMS companies and notebook makers, including Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Quanta Computer and Wistron, for module production on a licensing basis, the sources speculated.
Global shipments of notebooks equipped with a 3.5G module are expected to top 120 million units annually in five years, Eddie Chang, president of Qualcomm Taiwan, quoted data from market research firms as indicating.

HTC hires HP veteran to operate brand business, says paper

3 Dec, 2007
High Tech Computer (HTC) has hired Jason Juang, former vice president and general manager of personal systems group at Hewlett-Packard (HP) China, as an executive vice president, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
Juang, a 17-year veteran of brand operations and channel sales at HP, will supervise HTC's brand products in Europe, the US, Japan, and the Middle East and Asia Pacific, the paper quoted HTC CEO Peter Chou as indicating.

Handheld device shipments down over 43% on year as vendors exit or transition product lines, says IDC

12 Nov, 2007

The worldwide handheld device market posted its fifteenth consecutive quarter of decline in shipments, signaling either vendor intent to scale back production or exit from market entirely, or both, according to research firm IDC. Vendors shipped 728,894 handheld devices in the third quarter of 2007, approximately 1.5% more than the previous quarter but 39.3% less from the same quarter a year ago, noted IDC.
"The handheld device market has been under constant pressure, with mobile phones and converged mobile devices appropriating many of the handheld's salient attributes," says Ramon T Llamas, research analyst with IDC's Mobile Device Technology and Trends team. "Handheld product portfolios have suffered as vendors have reallocated their production resources."
"However, the handheld device market may be down, but is not necessarily out. The handheld still has a loyal, if shrinking, following in developed economies, especially among enterprise users. In emerging markets, the appeal of the handheld devices seems anchored in the fact that, in the absence of a monthly service plan, it has a lower total cost of ownership compared to mobile phones and/or the converged mobile device."
Top-five handheld device vendors
Palm remained the clear leader in the handheld market even though it has not launched a new model for over two years. However, over the same period, the company has released nearly a dozen new Treo converged mobile devices. After having retired the Life Drive, Palm is relying on its Z22, TX, and Tungsten E2 handheld devices to represent the company.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) retained the number two position during the quarter, still trailing Palm but far outpacing any of the remaining vendors. In September, HP announced plans for several new devices including two handheld devices – the 111 Classic Handheld and the 211 Enterprise Handheld – as well as the iPAQ 610 Business Navigator, a converged mobile device.
Mio has standardized GPS capability on all of its handheld devices, and by leading with that value proposition, the company has experienced continued growth. Recently Mio announced two new additions to its portfolio, the P360 and the P560. The P560 boasts Wi-Fi as one of its key features.
Fujitsu-Siemens climbed back into the top-five rankings after a one quarter hiatus, and stayed far ahead of the remaining vendors to claim the number four spot as its own. Helping to drive volumes were its C Series and N Series devices shipped into EMEA, and recently the company has begun to offer a competing converged mobile device with its Pocket LOOX T Series device.
Sharp narrowly stayed ahead of a crowded group of other vendors to take the number five spot during the quarter, and suffered the largest on-year decline in the group. All of its shipments were recorded in Japan, and they accounted for nearly two-thirds of all handheld devices shipped to that country. While Sharp's business has floundered, its success in the mobile phone and converged mobile device segments has propelled it to the number one position in Japan.