Qualcomm and competitor MediaTek are working on chipsets that will open the door for LTE in low-cost smartphones and tablets, allowing people all over the world to benefit from the higher speeds it offers.
The smartphone market is going through several changes as the primary driver behind smartphone growth in the years ahead will be low-cost devices. The chip vendors are now battling over who will get to power this next generation of smartphones and tablets.
On Monday, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 410 family, which will power smartphones released during the second half of next year and priced under $150 without a contract, according to the chip vendor. The announcement is significant and will have a very big impact on the popularity of LTE, according to Alan Hadden, president at industry organization GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association).
But Qualcomm isn't the only vendor that aims to cut the cost of LTE. Competitor MediaTek is getting ready to launch its first SoCs (system-on-a-chips) with LTE. The company will push LTE as hard as it can, according to Johan Lodenius , chief marketing officer at MediaTek. For a technology to become truly widespread, there must be products that are priced reasonably, he said in a recent interview.
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