Qualcomm is readying three new Linux-friendly, mid-tier, multi-mode phone chips manufactured with 45nm CMOS technology. Expected to sample in Q4, the QSC7xxx chips have 600MHz ARM11 processors, Bluetooth, GPS, and FM radio, along with a multi-band RF tranceiver supporting an alphabet soup of 3G and beyond protocols.

Announced the day before Qualcomm's higher-end 1GHz QSD8xxx “Snapdragon” chipsets, the QSC7xxx line is aimed at a mass-market audience. It lacks the Snapdragon's faster clockspeed, WiFi, HD video, and other multimedia extras.

According to Qualcomm, however, in addition to the Bluetooth, FM radio, and GPS capability, the QSC7xxx chips support 5-megapixel cameras, 2D, and 3D hardware-accelerated graphics, VGA display resolution and TV-out. The mobile processors are also said to support third-party operating systems that include Linux and Windows Mobile.

Like the Snapdragon modems, the QSC7xxx line comes in versions that support both HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. B cellular standards, says Qualcomm:

• QSC7230 — 10.2Mbps downlink speed for HSDPA networks and 5.76Mbps for HSUPA
• QSC7830 — CDMA 2000 EV-DO Rev. B at up to 14.7Mbps downlink and 5.4Mbps uplink
• QSC7630 — both HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev. B formats

Thanks to the next-generation 45nm fabrication, each chip fits on a 12 x 12 mm package and is said to offer low-power operation. Devices using the chips will play 80 hours of music and provide a full day of talk time or a month on standby, Qualcomm boasts.

Availability

The QSC7xxx chips are scheduled to sample in the fourth quarter of 2008.

 
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