Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform Brings 4G LTE To Feature Phones And Emerging Markets
That’s where Qualcomm comes into the picture with the 205 Mobile Platform (check out our previous coverage on Qualcomm’s reasoning for renaming its SoC families). The chip company is looking to bring its 205 Mobile Platform to entry-level feature phones so that users in developing and emerging markets can enjoy the benefits of faster 4G LTE connections (via its Snapdragon X5 LTE Category 4 modem), as older 2G and 3G networks are phased out.
Built on a “mature” 28nm LP process, the 205 is a dual-core chip that can be clocked up to 1.1GHz. Given that we’re talking about feature phones here, you’ll find a slew of other seemingly modest specs including USB 2.0 connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Adreno 304 graphics, support for up to a 3MP rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera. As for feature phone displays, the 205 can support resolutions up to VGA (at 60 fps). On the other hand, the 205 does support HD video streaming and Linux-based operating systems.
"Qualcomm Technologies is committed to the migration of users and networks from 2G, 2.5G, and 3G to 4G," said Kedar Kondap, Qualcomm VP of product management. "Feature phones are a lifeline in many emerging countries and the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform allows us to bring 4G connectivity and services to the masses with devices at price points never seen before."
We can expect for the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform to make its way to consumer smartphone during Q2 2017 in India, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. However, it’s unlikely that we’ll even see feature phones using the SoC here in the United States.
