ST-Ericsson latest to target low cost Android phones
Published: 10 February, 2010
READ MORE: ST-Ericsson | Semiconductor | Android
Mobile World Congress will see mobile chip vendors like Broadcom, MediaTek and Marvell targeting the low cost smartphone market using Android (and sometimes Windows Mobile). It was less predictable that ST-Ericsson would jump on this bandwaggon, given its close ties with key customers Nokia and Sony Ericsson. But the joint venture is to unveil a platform optimized for Android, and targeted at the same sub-€100 segment Marvell is chasing with its latest silicon.
STE says its platform will enable devices with wholesale prices under €100, by offering a high degree of integration of the various components, plus low power. Called the U6715, it will tap into the key growth market for 2010, customizable handsets with smartphone functionality, open OSs and mass market pricing.
The company believes the first commercial products based on U6715 will appear soon, before the middle of this year, so has obviously been working on the system for a while. Success in this area would make it more competitive against the low cost, low power handset platforms of Infineon and others, and broaden its reach. Thanks to sharing a parent with Sony Ericsson, and inheriting a highly strategic chip development deal for Nokia's high end 3G handsets, STE has been mainly associated with the Symbian world and the premium smartphones.
But as the head of STE's 3G and multimedia division, Marc Cetto, put it: "There is a huge surge in consumer demand for handsets that can be customized with downloadable apps, but, up to now, smartphones have been too expensive for many potential buyers. Our U6715 platform has been designed to enable the smartphone to break out of its current high end niche and become a true mass market product in 2010."
As well as supporting Linux based OSs such as Android, it supports GPS, video streaming, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, touchscreen and other 'standard' smartphone features. The U6715 also includes a 7.2Mbps HSPA modem, and with a 1000mA battery, can enable a phone to play music for up to 40 hours and provide talk time of up to seven hours on a 3G network.
More ST-ERICSSON News
- STE poised for revamp and possible takeover - Mar 16
- Ericsson denies it will exit STE - Jan 16
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