Qualcomm Eyes 1999 ‘Smart’ Phone Launch
September 30, 1998 — Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) showcased its "smart" phone which incorporates elements of both a CDMA-based handset and a personal organiser at the PSC show in Florida on September 23. The phone is built wound the platform developed by Palm Computing Inc., a 3Com Corp. (COMS) subsidiary.
This 'pdQ' device is expected to be made commercially available in the first half of 1999. Qualcomm. will conduct market trials of both a dual – mode 800 MHZ digital/analogue version and a CDMA- only version for use at 1.9 GHz during this year's fourth quarter.
Paul Jacobs, president of Qualcomm's consumer products operations, said the pdQ (the company's competitive response to high- end products previously rolled out by Nokia Corp. (NOK/A) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.) will be marketed at businesses and consumers alike as an all-in-one communication device offering voice and data capabilities. "The extension of the Palm Computing platform into telephony and the rapidly growing wireless communications market opens our technology to an even broader range of users," said Mark Bercow, Palm Computing's vice president in charge of strategic alliances and platform development.
Qualcomm said it has developed application- programming interfaces (APIs) conforming to pdQ's telephony platform, with the aim of cultivating third-party software development. It will come with three new applications – alert management, e-mail and Web browsing – designed to leverage CDMA's short messaging service capabilities.
This will, for example, give users the ability to program voicemail alerts into the pdQ for automatic retrieval of messages. In addition, users can dial a phone number automatically by employing the pdQ's stylus to tap on a contact name in its address book.
Palm Computing's PalmPilot and Palm III organisers have made quite a mark on consumer electronics. The appearance of the distinctive pdQ – which features a flip-down phone keypad – on the wireless scene will take place with striking speed: Only last February, Qualcomm and 3Com announced a licensing deal for the Palm Computing
CONTACT:
Carolyn Brown, Qualcomm
Tel: +1 619 651 7739
Toby Bates, Burson-Marsteller
Tel: +44 (0)171 831 6262