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Semiconductor industry

Qualcomm's Snapdragon Platform Takes Center Stage in Smartbook Revolution

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform is expected to disrupt the traditional netbook market with its smaller, more energy-efficient devices that offer longer battery life and instant startup times. AT&T has announced plans to sell a Snapdragon-based smartbook from Lenovo, while Vodafone has begun taking orders for the HTC-made HD2 in the UK. The Snapdragon platform will compete against Intel's Atom and RIM-designed chips, and Qualcomm expects lots of competition in the chipset market for mobile devices.

Key Takeaways:

  • Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform will power smartbooks from Lenovo, HTC, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and LG, offering longer battery life and instant startup times.
  • The smartbooks will run on some version of Linux, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, or Android, but will not be able to run Windows 7, Vista, or XP due to power consumption and memory requirements.
  • The Toshiba TG01, expected to be available in January, will also use Snapdragon technology and run Windows Mobile, with plans to offer Android.
  • 40 Snapdragon-based products are being developed by 15 different manufacturers, including LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Acer.
  • Qualcomm is developing a new Snapdragon chip that will operate at 1.5 GHz with a dual-core processor, support for 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, and faster mobile broadband using HSPA+ and/or LTE.
  • AT&T has committed to upgrading its network from 3G to HSPA+, which offers download speeds up to 24 Mbps down, and will be the first US cellco to launch a Snapdragon-based device.

Statistics:

  • 40 Snapdragon-based products are being developed by 15 different manufacturers.
  • 1 GHz is the current operating frequency of the Snapdragon chip.
  • 1.5 GHz is the expected operating frequency of the new Snapdragon chip with a dual-core processor.
  • 1440 x 900 pixel resolution is expected to be supported by the new Snapdragon chip.
  • 24 Mbps is the maximum download speed offered by HSPA+.
  • 2010 is the expected release year for the new Snapdragon chip.
  • January is the expected availability month for the Toshiba TG01 and Lenovo smartbook.

Sources:

  • "Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs talks smartbooks and Snapdragon" by CNET News (Source not explicitly provided, date not mentioned)
  • Various excerpts from the article, no specific reference as it appears to be a news report and not a published article with a named author or source.

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