Qualcomm wins Microsoft tablet with integrated LTE support over Nividia

Surface RT tablets to feature Qualcomm processors

 

By Shona Ghosh

Posted on 19 Jun 2013 at 13:28

Microsoft will switch to Qualcomm processors for a forthcoming refresh of the Surface RT, potentially giving the tablet a mobile broadband connection for the first time.

According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, Microsoft will replace the Surface RT’s current quad-core Tegra 3 chipset from Nvidia with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processors. The chips come with integrated LTE support, meaning the new Surface RT might offer a data connection. Current models are Wi-Fi only.

Qualcomm has already stated that its new chips will power some upcoming Windows 8.1 RT tablets in the second half of the year, but didn’t say which.

It’s possible that new tablets from HTC and Nokia will also run on Snapdragon 800 processors.

Nvidia will continue to supply chips for some versions of the Surface RT, according to Bloomberg’s sources, suggesting there might be multiple versions of a new Surface RT. Nvidia said in May that it was "very committed" to the Windows RT platform.

Read more: Surface RT tablets to feature Qualcomm processors | News | PC Pro http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/382525/surface-rt-tablets-to-feature-qualcomm-processors#ixzz2XsX6EaUv

Qualcomm power the world's first LTE-Advanced smartphone in Korea first

SAN DIEGO, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., is enabling the world's first LTE-Advanced smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A, powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor. The new Galaxy S4 LTE-A will be launched on all three mobile operators' LTE networks in Korea, starting with SK Telecom, followed by KT and LGU+. The new Galaxy S4 LTE-A will be the first smartphone to utilize LTE carrier aggregation for data rates up to 150 Mbps – double what current LTE speeds offer. The Snapdragon 800 processor is Qualcomm Technologies' most advanced and powerful mobile processor to date.

"Snapdragon 800 processors with LTE Advanced are designed to deliver maximum performance and connectivity to users who want the fastest and best mobile experiences, from watching high-definition video to playing the latest mobile games," said Murthy Renduchintala, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and co-president, Qualcomm mobile and computing.  "LTE-Advanced represents a significant improvement over current standards and will only enhance these experiences on the Galaxy S4, and other future devices worldwide."

LTE carrier aggregation is an important new technology, and a foundational feature of the standard that combines radio channels within and across bands to increase user data rates and reduce latency. While current LTE mobile devices support several LTE radio channels, they can only download on one channel at a time. LTE carrier aggregation, however, allows for simultaneous download on two or more LTE radio channels, effectively enabling full use of the nominal chipset LTE data rate category. 

Snapdragon 800 processors feature an integrated multimode 3G/4G LTE modem and are designed to support LTE carrier aggregation without sacrificing battery life, allowing operators to increase both peak and average data rates for their consumers and device manufacturers to build sleeker devices with differentiated applications for their customers.  Qualcomm Technologies is currently shipping its third generation multimode LTE solutions.

The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is expected to be available to customers in Korea this summer. For more information on LTE-A and carrier aggregation, visit: http://www.qualcomm.com/media/videos/lte-advanced-carrier-aggregation-doubles-4g-data-speeds

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) is the world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. All Qualcomm Incorporated trademarks are used with permission. Other products or brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Qualcomm Contacts:
Tina Asmar, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com

Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com

Bsquare's Mobile Development Platform Based on a Qualcomm Processor

Bsquare's Mobile Development Platform Based on a Qualcomm Processor

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Published on: 31st May 2013

BSquare has announced general availability of its next generation Mobile Development Platform (MDP), which is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (8974) processor.

This MDP will be released in both a tablet and smartphone form factor by BSquare and is designed to provide application developers and device manufacturers with access to the Android 4.2 platform for developing, testing, optimizing and showcasing applications and games.

In addition, this MDP will provide users the ability to test and optimize applications and devices prior to commercial device deployment.

The smartphone form factor for this MDP features a 4.3" 720p HD multi-touch display, while the tablet form factor version features an 11.6" 1080p HD multi-touch display. Both of these form factors also feature UltraHD/4K video support via HDMI output and are one of the first mobile development platforms to include both USB 3.0, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for quick file transfers, and streaming rates up to 1.3Gbps.

"It's intriguing to think about the high-quality applications that will be developed on this platform and we at BSquare are excited to support the cutting-edge Android community working on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors." said John Traynor, Senior Vice President of Products and Technology for BSquare.

Qualcomm and LT Mobile Sign CDMA Subscriber Unit License Agreement

SAN DIEGO - January 22, 2009 - Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions and LT Mobile Communication Co., Ltd (LT Mobile), today announced that they have entered into a CDMA subscriber unit license agreement. Under the terms of the royalty bearing agreement, Qualcomm has granted LT Mobile a worldwide patent license to develop, manufacture and sell subscriber units implementing the CDMA2000® standard. The royalties payable by LT Mobile are at Qualcomm's standard worldwide rates.“Qualcomm is pleased to include LT Mobile, a Chinese company, as a licensee of its patent portfolio,” said Derek Aberle, executive vice president and president of Qualcomm Technology Licensing. “Licensing advanced wireless technologies promotes the success of our partners and enriches the lives of consumers globally. This agreement will enable LT Mobile to extend the benefits of high-speed, low-cost wireless products to its customers in China and worldwide.”“This agreement with Qualcomm provides LT Mobile (and its wholly owned subsidiary Shenzhen Tinno Mobile Technology Co., Ltd.) with the opportunity to expand into the CDMA2000 market and to offer our customers a more complete portfolio of products and services,” said Tony Lin, president of LT Mobile. “We are excited about the opportunities made available through the implementation of CDMA2000 in our products and are dedicated to continue developing innovative products to accommodate our customers' needs.”Shenzhen LT Mobile Communication Co., Ltd, founded in 2002, is a professional high-tech company specializing in manufacturing and marketing of CDMA, GSM , PHS and dual-mode mobile phones. It is one of the manufacturing companies that have obtained licenses issued by the National Development and Reform Commission of P.R.C. to produce both GSM/GPRS and CDMA handsets. There are approx. 260 engineers in its Shenzhen and Nanjing R&D centers, including Ph.D. and masters degree holders capable of conducting R&D throughout the development process, starting from mobile chipsets. LT has gotten in on the ground floor in the field of dual mode mobile phone, and has been called “No.1 dual GSM mobile phone manufacturer in the world”. X1 is the world's first dual GSM phone and has applied for dual Baseband & RF core technology inventive patent in 2007. Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500® company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2008, and most recent Form 10-Q.

深圳天珑移动技术有限公司
http://www.tinnomobile.com
2008年7月：天珑移动入围中国移动有限公司集合采购大名单。
2008年9月：天珑移动获得中国双卡双通话手机专利。

SiRF Signs Patent Deal with Qualcomm - Gets Broadcom Review

­GPS based platforms vendor, SiRF Technology Holdings has announced a deal with Qualcomm and also received a review notice from the International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding its ongoing patent dispute with Broadcom.

The review by the ITC covers part of the Initial Determination by the ITC Administrative Law Judge that certain SiRF products infringed upon six patents held by Global Locate, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Broadcom. Specifically the Commission has determined to review claims on three out of the six patents.

"We are pleased that the Commission has accepted our appeal to review the initial ruling of the Administrative Law Judge," said Kanwar Chadha, founder of SiRF Technology. "We are working closely with our customers to implement multiple measures to enable them to continue to ship their innovative products into the U.S. market."

The company has also signed a mutual Patent Non-Assertion Agreement with Qualcomm covering each party's patent portfolio.

"As an innovation driven company, we respect Qualcomm's vast intellectual property portfolio," said Kanwar Chadha, founder of SiRF Technology. "We believe that this agreement between leading innovators of AGPS enabled location technology will help expand the market for location enabled products, services and content, while enabling each of us to compete in the market place based on product merits."

Posted to the site on 10th October 2008

Judge Pushed Qualcomm-Nokia Deal

July 31, 2008
SAN DIEGO—The surprise deal between Qualcomm and Nokia to settle lawsuits over patents and royalties may auger a new era of competitive congeniality in the wireless industry, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said in an interview.
Jacobs said the two companies have been talking continuously, trying to reach an accord, but the ultimate settlement was pushed along because of a pending trial in Delaware. The settlement was reached July 23 even as the judge in the Delaware case urged the lawyers on both sides not to let the company executives leave until a deal was sealed.
The agreement covers various technology licenses and royalties for a host of wireless technologies, including 2G, 3G and 4G. Nokia also agreed to withdraw as a complainant in an antitrust case before the European Commission. Five other companies are still involved in that complaint—Broadcom, Ericsson, Matsushita Electric Industrial, NEC and Texas Instruments.
Jacobs said he hopes Qualcomm can “build off the positive momentum” of the Nokia agreement and resolve that case, as well as a separate suit involving just Broadcom.
“It’s better to license than to litigate,” Jacobs said on the sidelines Wednesday at the Qualcomm Smart Services Leadership Summit. “We’re not going to back down when we’re right, but the history of this company has been licensing. We’ve not been a litigious company.”
Jacobs also said some Qualcomm executives, including President Steve Altman, worked 40 hours without sleep putting the final Nokia deal together. Jacobs himself spent time on the phone with Nokia President and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. The pressure was on because of the pending Delaware trial, he said, and not because of a coincidental court decision in Germany that went against Qualcomm in a Nokia suit over a GSM patent.
Jacobs didn’t go into detail on the new royalty structure to which Nokia agreed, but analysts have speculated Nokia will pay Qualcomm about $1 billion in past royalties and that royalties the Finnish company will pay in 2009 will add about 30-cents per share to Qualcomm’s earnings.
The CEO also said he thinks the agreement could spell smoother sailing ahead for the wireless industry because companies will ask themselves, “Should we spend time on conflict or should we spend our time on realizing the vision of what a mobile device can be?”
Jacobs added that the next few years will show whether or not that willingness to work together will be realized. “The time ahead will be very interesting and we’re in good position to work with all these companies to achieve their business models,” he said.
Portions of the summit discussed wireless data and the health-care industry. Qualcomm has been working on a health-care MVNO for some time, named LifeComm. Jacobs said in the interview he was confident LifeComm would become a reality. He said LifeComm had been delayed mostly because Qualcomm did not want to be the main investor in the MVNO and thereby a competitor with the carriers. But he said the ownership structure has been settled and “I’m confident it’s going to happen.”

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.

Inventec adopts Qualcomm mirasol displays for smart handheld devices

3 April 2008
Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has announced that Inventec has chosen its MEMS-based mirasol displays for upcoming portable devices.
Inventec will incorporate mirasol displays into high-end smart handheld devices for the worldwide markets, including Europe and North America. The mirasol display will act as a secondary viewing area as a means to offload power needs from the main display. The design and functionality of the smartphone device will be revealed at a later date.
"With our focus on developing slim portable products with powerful telecommunication capabilities, mirasol displays enable low power consumption and superb viewing quality, two important needs for these products." said Kirk Suen, vice president of Inventec.
Qualcomm MEMS's mirasol displays are based on a reflective technology called interferometric modulation (IMOD), a phenomenon that mimics the mechanisms that naturally create vibrant colors in a butterfly's wings. Based on this reflective technology, mirasol displays offer low power consumption and superior viewability, even in brightly lit areas.

Mio announces partnership with Qualcomm to develop connected PNDs

1 February 2008
Mio Technology has announced the forming of a partnership with Qualcomm to develop connected PND products. These new devices will leverage Qualcomm's QST1100 chipset to deliver industry-leading GPS performance and cellular connectivity for real-time traffic updates, voice call capabilities and more, stated Mio.
With the new strategic partnership, Mio looks to offer consumers a next generation GPS device that goes beyond traditional A to B navigation, the company said. With real-time content, search capabilities and more, Mio's connected PNDs will provide a uniquely dynamic navigation experience that can be customized for any lifestyle.
Qualcomm's QST1100 chipset is the first solution to integrate application processing, GPS and cellular connectivity into a single chip for ubiquitous connectivity and sleeker form-factors, highlighted the company. The QST1100 chipset leverages Qualcomm's gpsOne technology that supports several modes of operation including: Assisted-GPS and Standalone-GPS as well as gpsOneXTRA Assistance technology for enhanced Standalone-GPS performance. Currently, more than 300 million devices around the world leverage gpsOne technology for accurate, ubiquitous positioning capabilities, the company claimed.

Qualcomm launches new chips after ruling

2 Jan 2008
Wireless technology developer Qualcomm Inc. said Wednesday it has produced new cellphone chips which comply with a judge's recent patent infringement ruling, and expects to have hardware and software work-arounds for handsets before the end of the first calendar quarter of 2008.
A California federal judge on Monday ordered Qualcomm to stop making and selling certain cell phone chips and software which were found to infringe three Broadcom patents.
Qualcomm said the new UMTS chipsets are available to device manufacturing customers for shipment into the U.S. Qualcomm's shipments of chipsets for devices intended for international markets weren't affected by the ruling.
The new chipsets are pin- and software-compatible with existing products, allowing handset makers easy replacement.
"Qualcomm has available new UMTS chipsets that offer a seamless transition for impacted device manufacturers who are shipping devices into the U.S. market based on our flagship products," said Alex Katouzian, vice president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are working to comply fully with the court ruling while minimizing the impact on our partners."
Qualcomm is continuing to develop work-arounds for the two other disputed patents.
On Wednesday, Qualcomm said it will attempt to obtain further relief and clarity from the courts on certain aspects of the injunction, but warned that the inability to do so will likely have an "immediate, short-term impact" as handset customers transition to new designs for WCDMA products.
The company also warned of the ruling's potential impact on certain products in the development pipeline for the U.S. market, as well as Qualcomm's longer-term ability to implement work-arounds in time to launch handsets by the January 2009 deadline.
Shares fell 46 cents to $38.89 in morning trading.

Qualcomm Ordered to Stop Selling Chips Infringing Broadcom Patents

1 Jan 2008

A US federal judge has ordered Qualcomm to stop selling data chips which infringe on patents held by rival, Broadcom. The injunction, issued by U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna prohibits Qualcomm from making, using and selling certain chipsets and software that infringe the three Broadcom patents. The injunction also prohibits Qualcomm from engaging in a broad range of additional activities.
"We are very pleased with today's ruling, which addresses Qualcomm's improper use of our patented technology covering cellular chips and software for advanced consumer devices," said David A. Dull, Broadcom's Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "Broadcom should not have to compete against companies that use Broadcom's own patented technology against us, and this injunction puts a stop to Qualcomm doing just that."
The three patents apply to WCDMA chips. Other disputed chipsets relating to EVDO services can continue to be sold until 2009, although royalty payments will have to be paid, and sales can only be made to existing customers.
A Qualcomm spokeswoman said the company was reviewing the ruling and declined further comment.
The injunction is the result of legal action which commenced back in 2005.
Posted to the site on 1st January 2008

HTC revenues to decline over 38% sequentially in 1Q08 due to chipset shortages, says paper

24 Dec, 2007

High Tech Computer (HTC) revenues are expected to decline 38.5% sequentially to NT$24 billion (US$738.5 million) in the first quarter of 2008 from the NT$39 billion projected for the fourth quarter of this year due to an insufficient supply of chipset solutions from Qualcomm, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
Despite a capacity ramp by Qualcomm, HTC is expected to receive up to only 70% of the CDMA and WCDMA solutions its needs for the first quarter of 2008. This will consequently affect HTC's shipments of CDMA handsets to the US and WCDMA handsets to Europe, the paper said.
In addition, handset shipments from Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) and Chi Mei Communication Systems (CMCS) to Nokia are also likely to be affected by Qualcomm's supply shortages, the paper added.
Indonesia Telecom Sector
In-Depth Analytical Research Report Covering Market Trends & Issues.
www.ceicdata.com/Indonesia

Qualcomm wins a round in patent battles with Nokia

WASHINGTON — Qualcomm Inc. won a round in its patent battles with wireless phone maker Nokia on Wednesday (Nov. 21) as a U.S. trade court tossed out a lawsuit asking for Qualcomm's chips to be barred from the United States.
The U.S. International Trade Commission dropped the Nokia lawsuit due to pending arbitration, the commission said.
"The case is finished at the ITC," said ITC staffer John Greer.
Nokia had alleged infringement of patents on technology that made its telephones smaller and more efficient.
An ITC administrative law judge granted Qualcomm's motion to dismiss the suit on Oct. 18. Nokia protested, requesting a review of the decision, but the commission upheld it.
Qualcomm General Counsel Alex Rogers said Nokia had been barred from filing patent lawsuits against Qualcomm because of arbitration underway in Los Angeles.
The arbitration petition was filed in April, Rogers said in a telephone interview, while ITC documents show the trade court opened its investigation into the Nokia suit in September.
"From our point of view, Nokia is not entitled to sue Qualcomm for patent infringement," Rogers said.
Nokia was not immediately available for comment.
There are more than a dozen lawsuits pending between Nokia and Qualcomm on three continents.
In the suit dismissed by the ITC, Nokia had requested the ITC bar the importation of certain Qualcomm chips used in cell phones.

Qualcomm starts sampling new WCDMA chipsets

12 Nov, 2007

Qualcomm announced that it will enable a dramatic reduction in the cost of WCDMA (UMTS) mobile broadband handsets with the introduction of Qualcomm's new Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM6246 HSDPA and MSM6290 HSUPA chipsets. Already having started sampling the chipsets, Qualcomm said the chipsets are designed to enable devices that break new price barriers.
The MSM6246 chipset will support 3.6 Mbps HSDPA for advanced services such as high-resolution video downloads and Web 2.0 browsing where the MSM6290 HSUPA chipset supports speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on the downlink and 5.76 Mbps on the uplink, tapping into the surge in popularity of applications such as social networking and user-generated multimedia sharing, Qualcomm detailed.
Both of the chipsets feature 10×10mm package sizes that represent a nearly 50% reduction in package footprint from previous-generation baseband solutions, Qualcomm said. The two products are drop-in replacements for each other, with power management, software and radio frequency (RF) compatibility. Both products interface with the RTR6285 single-chip CMOS transceiver.

Where's my Gphone?

11/05/2007 08:09:00 AM Posted by Andy Rubin, Director of Mobile Platforms

Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today.

Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities.

We see Android as an important part of our strategy of furthering Google's goal of providing access to information to users wherever they are. We recognize that many among the multitude of mobile users around the world do not and may never have an Android-based phone. Our goals must be independent of device or even platform. For this reason, Android will complement, but not replace, our longstanding mobile strategy of developing useful and compelling mobile services and driving adoption of these products through partnerships with handset manufacturers and mobile operators around the world.

It's important to recognize that the Open Handset Alliance and Android have the potential to be major changes from the status quo -- one which will take patience and much investment by the various players before you'll see the first benefits. But we feel the potential gains for mobile customers around the world are worth the effort. If you’re a developer and this approach sounds exciting, give us a week or so and we’ll have an SDK available. If you’re a mobile user, you’ll have to wait a little longer, but some of our partners are targeting the second half of 2008 to ship phones based on the Android platform. And if you already have a phone you know and love, check out mobile.google.com and make sure you have Google Maps for mobile, Gmail and our other great applications on your phone. We'll continue to make these services better and add plenty of exciting new features, applications and services, too.

What would your phone do?

Shipments of GPS-enabled mobile handsets to more than quadruple by 2011, says iSuppli

2 Nov, 2007

Global shipments of mobile handsets equipped with GPS capability are expected to more than quadruple from 2006 to 2011 due to the US government's mandate for emergency 911 (E911) capability as well as initiatives by wireless operators to offer location-based services (LBSs), according to research firm iSuppli.
GPS-equipped mobile handset shipments will increase to 444 million units by 2011, rising from 109.6 million units in 2006. By 2011, 29.6% of all mobile phones shipped will have GPS capability, up from 11.1% in 2006.
"Besides cameras, multimedia capabilities and connectivity solutions, mobile-handset OEMs increasingly are investigating the integration of GPS functionality in mobile devices as a value-added product differentiator," said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications at iSuppli. "Wireless carriers are looking at introducing various new GPS-based, revenues-generating services to increase average revenues per user (ARPU)."
Such LBSs are the key services that could drive up ARPUs. LBSs include a broad range of value-added services that incorporate user location pinpointed by satellites or other tools with location databases. The most common services are user location, turn-by-turn navigation, location search, tracking, information services and social networking.
E911 mandates also are driving the expansion of the GPS-enabled handset market in the United States. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996 issued a report that requires all operators to precisely locate the position of wireless callers making emergency 911 calls.
The regulation was implemented in three phases: Phases 0, I and II. Phase II of the E911 implementation requires all operators to deliver specific latitude and longitude information of the caller, also known as automatic location identification (ALI). This can be accomplished using a GPS-enabled mobile handset.
Qualcomm, the dominant supplier of code division multiple access (CDMA) solutions, began to integrate GPS processors into its digital baseband semiconductors in 2000. This company always ensures its CDMA network infrastructure products support the functionalities that its digital basebands deliver, including GPS.
Because of this, the CDMA-dominated nations of the United States and South Korea are expected to be the leading regions for GPS-enabled mobile handsets. Europe will be the next largest GPS-enabled handset market as GPS functionality penetrates into smartphones. In September, a Nokia smartphone with GPS capability was the top model purchased on the website of European carrier O2.
Semiconductor suppliers, wireless network operators and device manufacturers are already in the GPS game. LBS will encourage more suppliers to provide the most efficient solutions in terms of power consumption, time to first fix (TTFF) and affordable pricing for A-GPS adoption.
Semiconductor suppliers include baseband providers that offer complete solutions from cellular products to various connectivity options; companies that specialize in GPS and that provide GPS chipsets and software packages not only to handset manufacturers but also to automotive and personal navigation system manufacturers; and companies that specialize in radio frequency (RF) and that integrate GPS receivers into their current cellular RF receiver offerings.

Qualcomm and Texas Instruments Solidify Lead in Wireless Chip Sales

26th October 2007

Qualcomm and Texas Instruments in the second quarter outpaced the wireless semiconductor market, boosting their share of global sales, according to iSuppli. In the second quarter, market-leader Qualcomm achieved wireless semiconductor revenue of US$1.37 billion, up 8.6 percent from $1.26 billion in the first quarter. No. 2 player Texas Instruments sold US$1.23 billion worth of wireless-oriented semiconductors, up 7 percent from US$1.15 billion in the first quarter.

These figures consist of revenue from sales of application-specific semiconductors for wireless applications, including mobile handsets, wireless infrastructure equipment, wireless LANs and connectivity products.

With the global wireless semiconductor market expanding by 4 percent during the period, the two companies increased their market share. Qualcomm's share rose to 18.2 percent in the second quarter, up from 17.4 percent in the first quarter. Texas Instruments' share increased to 16.4 percent in the second quarter, up from 15.9 percent in the first quarter.
"Qualcomm retained the top spot in total wireless semiconductors for the second quarter in a row," said Francis Sideco, senior analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli. "The company, so far, is weathering its recent legal challenges to capitalize on strong growth in sales of chips for WCDMA mobile handsets and semiconductors for wireless infrastructure equipment."
Meanwhile, Texas Instruments held its second-place position.
"Texas Instruments achieved strong growth in mobile-handset and cellular infrastructure chips in the second quarter, allowing it to outgrow the market," Sideco added. "The company gained market share in mobile-handset semiconductors for 2G mobile phones due to the ramp up of its LoCosto single-chip solution for Ultra Low-Cost Handsets (ULCHs) and entry-level phones."
While Qualcomm and Texas Instruments maintained their market dominance, NXP posted the strongest growth among the Top-5 wireless semiconductor suppliers in the second quarter. NXP's wireless semiconductor revenue rose to $438 million in the second quarter, up 16.2 percent from $377 million in the first quarter. The company increased its market share to 5.8 percent in the second quarter, up six-tenths of a percentage point from 5.2 percent in the first quarter. NXP benefited from strong sales of mobile handset baseband chips.

iSuppli predicts global wireless semiconductor revenue will rise by 4.5 percent in 2007 to reach $56.1 billion, up from $53.7 billion in 2006.

Asustek to officially ink 3G licensing agreement with Qualcomm soon

25 Oct, 2007
Asustek Computer should free itself from any 3G chip patent disputes for upcoming 3G handsets as the company will soon ink a related licensing agreement with Qualcomm, according to industry sources.

Asustek has been extending its presence to 3G for several years, but the company and Qualcomm have not established a consensus over a possible cross-licensing as Asustek itself owns some 3G chip intellectual property (IP), the sources explained.

Despite that Asustek only started volume producing 3G handsets in late 2006, the relatively early deployment of the company in this sector has helped the company accumulate about over 90 technological innovations that are recognized by the 3GPP. More than 30 of these items may even be classed as "core IP", the sources noted.

According to estimates from the Technology Transfer Center (TTC) of Taiwan, the number of 3G patents that Asustek holds exceeds 130 in Taiwan – an amount that only Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) surpasses.

Asustek's rivals, which include BenQ and Qisda, Gigabyte Communications, High Tech Computer (HTC), Inventec Appliances and Mobinnova, have all adopted 3G solutions from Qualcomm for their handset offerings, with licensing fees reaching several million US dollars.

Asustek currently utilizes 3G solutions from Marvell and Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP).