Qualcomm aims to ramp up its penetration in the entry-level mobile device market by cooperating with Microsoft to launch low-cost Windows Mobile 10 products, while also cooperating with Allwinner Technology to launch 3G/4G solutions for connected tablets, according to Digitimes Research.
Qualcomm accounted for about 80% of China's 4G LTE solution market in 2014, but has seen its share decline significantly since the beginning of 2015 due to the roll-outs of competitive models from MediaTek and Spreadtrum Communications, and also due to Qualcomm's own mishap in the deployment of mid-range and high-end solutions, Digitimes Research indicated.
To maintain its market share, Qualcomm's cooperation with Microsoft aims to roll out Windows Mobile 10-based smartphones priced at about US$80 in the end-market, with the first wave of such models to be available in the fourth quarter of 2015.
The low-cost Windows Mobile 10-based models will utilize Qualcomm's MSM8909 CPU, running on Windows Mobile platform but without the need of paying licensing fees to Microsoft, therefore, the overall cost of Windows Mobile10 smartphones will be comparable to entry-level Android phones.
Meanwhile, Allwinner will develop and offer total system solutions to support the development of cost-effective 4G LTE-enabled connected tablets based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon family CPU products. Allwinner's 4G solutions are for production of high-end tablets for mature market in the US and Europe, while the 3G solutions are for tablets targeting emerging markets.