More than 15 device manufacturers are looking to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform to enable mobile computing devices, which blend the best of the smartphone and laptop computing categories to deliver on the promise of mobile internet. According to independent industry research, this market segment is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 80% over the next several years. The first Snapdragon devices are expected to be launched in the first half of next year.
Qualcomm’s customers for Snapdragon include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs), such as Acer, ASUS International, C-motech, Compal, Foxconn International Holdings (FIH), High Tech Computer (HTC) Corporation, Inventec, LG Electronics, Quanta Computer Incorporated, Samsung, Toshiba Corporation and Wistron Corporation.
Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, stated: “Qualcomm introduced Snapdragon to encourage the industry to think outside the box and design devices that fill the niche between the portable communications capabilities of mobile handsets and the computing capabilities of laptops. Many of the customers we are now working with are new to Qualcomm and are looking to Snapdragon to help them succeed in the mobile space.”
While Snapdragon-powered devices can have a wide range of form-factors, they will all benefit from the best features of mobile handsets and laptop computers. The platform will support a wide set of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Mobile, Android, and a number of Linux-based operating systems. The platform’s exceptionally low power operation enables computing devices to no longer require a heat sink or fan while enabling all-day battery life, allowing device manufacturers to design slimmer devices that last longer than ever before.