Qualcomm wants to put its chip on every phone out there, and that is not just limited to smartphones. With the return of the ‘dumb-phone’ in the form of the new Nokia 3310 candy bar phone, Qualcomm has realized a potential that can be tapped in phones that are of the 3310 generation, with the introduction of their newest low-power chip, the 205.
Qualcomm brings first LTE chip for feature phones (file photo)
The 205 is quite possibly the most base-level chip that can be found currently. It is not nearly powerful enough to be inside a full-fledged smartphone, but it is powerful enough to be inside a smaller-entry level candy-bar phone. Essentially, the chip is aimed at the ultra-low cost bracket that is taken up by feature phones. With this chip, feature phones will be able to perform better and be more responsive at doing tasks from playing games, to even watching videos on a 480p resolution.
The chip will enable 4G connectivity, come with a respectable Adreno graphics adapter for some decent gaming, provide better call quality, provide GPS functionality, provide support for dual cameras (a .3 MP one on the front and a 3MP one on the rear). There is also the possibility of providing secure payment services and WiFi connectivity as well. It will feature dual SIM capabilities and also come with FM and Bluetooth Radios.
This explains why this chip will not fare well on a regular Android smartphone, since the capabilities are just far too meagre. But not for feature phones, at least. This chip is extremely energy efficient. It can give up to 20 hours of talk time, 86 hours of music playback as well as 45 days of standby time. Qualcomm is making this chip easier to access for manufacturers as it will come with the same pin-compatibility as the Snapdragon 210 and 212 chips, so that manufacturers can make multiple models with the same phone design, and just leave the chips as they are.
This is good news for newer, cheaper feature phones that will be arriving within the next few months as they will now stand apart from the regular breed of feature phones that we have known to come about. It’s a shame that this revelation in processing technology only happened to come out after the release of the new Nokia 3310. Let’s hope Nokia can make a “Plus” variant that packs this chip, because everyone would want to see that phone get the functionality it deserves.
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