Chipmaker Qualcomm Technology on Wednesday said that there is a sweet spot on smartphones priced between ₹.7,000 and ₹.10,000 and it was in discussion with several handset makers to work on such devices.
The company, along with Xiaomi, unveiled a sub ₹.10,000 smartphone -- Redmi A4 5G – in a mission to bring innovative technology for everyone.
“We are in discussion with a lot of partners...today one partner (Xiaomi) has come with us. More will come. Soon, we can make this successful,” Savi Soin, Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm India told businessline on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress 2024.
He said access to 5G will be a key factor towards Viksit Bharat. “The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 was designed with a vision to enable consumers to enjoy the benefits of 5G connectivity,” he said.
The company, in July this year, first unveiled the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, a budget 5G chipset, and announced Xiaomi to be its first smartphone manufacturing partner to adopt it.
Adoption of 5G technology
With Redmi A4 5G, Xiaomi and Qualcomm Technologies are making gigabit-fast connectivity a reality for millions of Indians. The device’s affordability and powerful performance are poised to redefine the smartphone experience in this segment and drive the adoption of 5G technology in the country, Soin said.
“As we celebrate 10 years in India, the Redmi A4 5G marks a significant milestone in our ongoing mission to bring advanced technology to every Indian. Designed exclusively for the Indian market, it embodies our vision of ‘5G for Everyone’, bridging the digital divide. We aim to accelerate India’s shift to 5G with this device, delivering an enhanced entry-level smartphone experience,” Muralikrishnan B, President, Xiaomi India, said.
Looking ahead, 5G will be the cornerstone in Xiaomi’s vision to sell 70 crore devices in the next decade, he added.
Meanwhile, speaking about its other chip businesses, Soin said that the company certainly think that fixed wireless access (FWA) has a huge opportunity in the broadband network.
“We have a chip that we announced RedCap that has a much lower cost. We are certainly innovating and investing in fixed wireless…We are shipping a pretty sizeable business,” he said adding that prices of chipsets were already coming down quite significantly and there is an advantage as Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) always want lower prices.