Spreadtrum Smartphone Chipset Undercuts MTK by USD 1
National Business Daily, 7/05/12
Chinese baseband chipset vendor Spreadtrum (Nasdaq: SPRD) has announced that its 8810 chipset is priced at USD 7-8, approximately USD 1 less than MediaTek's 6573 solution, lowering the price of a 3.5-inch smartphone chipset solution to RMB 450-500. Spreadtrum currently supplies the 8810 to several major brands, including Samsung, HTC, Lenovo (0992.HK), ZTE, Huawei, and Tianyu (K-Touch). Spreadtrum estimates that its smartphone chipset shipments will exceed 20 mln in 2012.
Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek received orders from major brands such as Huawei and ZTE (0763.HK; 000063.SZ) in early 2012. MediaTek aims to capture 50% of mainland China's smartphone chipset market, and expects 60% of business to come from brand clients, while independent handset design firms will account for the remaining 40%.
Qualcomm senior VP Jeff Lorbeck disclosed that many handset vendors, including Lenovo, TCL, and Longcheer, have begun offering 3.5-inch HVGA smartphones using the Qualcomm Reference Design platform priced at USD 50.
MediaTek and Qualcomm have signed an agreement to offer chipsets at market prices, not below cost, according to an industry source. China's three major domestic chipmakers produce solutions for entry-level smartphones costing under RMB 300 to produce and sold at a retail price of RMB 600.
Keywords: Jeff Lorbeck low-cost phone chipset smartphone Spreadtrum wireless MediaTek chipmaker SPRD handset chip pricing
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