US-based semiconductor and telecoms equipment company Qualcomm is planning to bring its feature phone - the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform - to the South African market.
According to James Munn, VP for sub-Saharan Africa at Qualcomm, the target retail price will be around R400.
However, he points out the price could be higher or lower depending on final specs, exchange rates and the final route to market.
The Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform enables 4G LTE connectivity and 4G services on entry-level feature phones. It is designed for original equipment manufacturers and original design manufacturers that service consumers who may otherwise be unable to gain access to high quality, affordable, reliable mobile devices, says Qualcomm.
The device is powered by the Snapdragon SDM205 chipset.
"Qualcomm Technologies is committed to the migration of users and networks from 2G, 2.5G, and 3G to 4G," says Kedar Kondap, VP for 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."
As for the SA launch timeline, Munn points out "this will very much depend on the level of interest from the local incumbents in the market. It's possible we may see it in South Africa before the end of the year."
Indian success
The Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform has already been launched in India to date, and it has been very well received, judging by the volumes being shipped, says Munn.
He notes the 4G feature phone is known to all operators around the world, including South African mobile network operators, given the strong press coverage coming out of India.
"This device can provide the end-user much more functionality than a standard 2G feature phone in terms of data access yet targeted, to be priced below that of a smartphone. It also provides a vehicle to accelerate the vacation of users on 2G-only phones from 2G spectrum, enabling the mobile operator to re-farm newly available spectrum to more efficient 4G."
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says in SA feature phones remain a major component of the cellphone user base and of ongoing sales.
"They [feature phones] offer several advantages that smartphones don't have, such as long battery life, greater durability and ease of use. At the same time, there is widespread fear of the way in which smartphones consume airtime through data."
Goldstuck points out Qualcomm itself is unlikely to put a phone in the market. "It usually produces what are called reference designs, meaning anyone can have their own branded phones built with the Qualcomm blueprints.
"They hope that operators in particular will have phones manufactured using the 205 chipset, but other Qualcomm partners like Samsung and Huawei could also take it on. It then becomes a component of those brands' marketing efforts and would see significant penetration."
The Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform allows us to bring 4G connectivity and services to the masses with devices at price points never seen before.
Kedar Kondap, VP for product management
He adds the operators and other manufacturers all want to differentiate themselves and this could have the opposite effect.
"There is also the issue of LTE phones using data when they connect to base stations. These are not major obstacles, though. The biggest issue is whether people will pay R400 for a feature phone when similar seeming devices are available at half that price and entry-level smartphones are available for not much more than R400," Goldstuck concludes.
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