Qualcomm, a chipmaker headquartered in the US, is making bold moves in the Indian market. The company intends to unveil a new chipset that will facilitate the release of an affordable 5G smartphone, priced below $99, by the end of this calendar year, as reported by Moneycontrol.
The report, citing a top Qualcomm official, said that the latest chipset could encourage 2G users to transition to a smartphone-enabled 5G environment in India.
“Qualcomm is also working with India’s top telecom operator, Reliance Jio, and original equipment makers (OEMs) to develop and launch the phone. Qualcomm’s executives said that the gigabit 5G smartphone device will support the 5G standalone architecture, which Jio is currently offering,” said the report.
“The gigabit 5G smartphone will be powered by a dedicated low-cost customised processor using SA-2Rx capability, capable of gigabit speeds on a 5G network,” Chris Patrick, SVP and General Manager of Handsets, Qualcomm, told Moneycontrol in Barcelona at the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024.
In August 2022, during the 45th annual general meeting of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani announced a partnership between Reliance Jio and Qualcomm to develop 5G products not only for India but for the whole world.
Earlier in January 2024, the chipmaker said it would invest ₹177.27 crore in setting up a design centre in Chennai. The centre will focus on innovations in areas that complement wi-fi technologies and contribute to Qualcomm’s global research and development efforts in 5G cellular technology.
The company has been investing in design-focused initiatives in the country for several years through programmes such as ‘Qualcomm Design in India Challenge’ and ‘Qualcomm Semiconductor Mentorship Programme’.
India is the second-largest base outside of San Diego for Qualcomm’s research and development efforts. In India, Qualcomm has R&D centres in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Noida.
Meanwhile, Reliance Industries shares are trading flat in today’s trade at ₹2,983 apiece, up by 0.31% as of 01:00 p.m.
