If I were a Qualcomm exec, I'd be sweating over my calendar right now. Qualcomm's 5G Summit is May 19, but the team is likely paying more attention to Google's huge I/O event, which starts on May 18, because one of Google's rumored projects is a processor code named Whitechapel, which could put an end to the longtime use of Qualcomm CPUs in Pixel phones.
I do wonder what soured the Google-Qualcomm relationship. Everything seemed fine until the Pixel 5 was released with the not-quite-flagship Snapdragon 765 chipset. (Maybe to keep the price down?) Then we started hearing about Whitechapel. And now rumor has it that the Google-developed chipset will appear in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro flagships this fall. (ExtremeTech has the latest on some bold Pixel 6 design leaks, too.)
The Google I/O event is typically more software-focused, but if you read between the lines of the Android 12 announcements, you may see hints of how Google will take advantage of its in-house hardware. 9to5Google has a good rundown of Whitechapel's possible features. But the real question is whether Google can get US carriers to support a prestige Android phone running on something other than a Qualcomm chipset. If it can, this could completely change the game.
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Until now, the US Android phone market has been relatively sleepy (and expensive for what you get) compared with the vigorous competitive ferment going on in Asia. LG's departure from the US market leaves a gap, and I'd love to see some actual competition drive development forward and prices down.
Qualcomm's big global rival is MediaTek, which hasn't made much of an inroad here. But that could be changing. When I was reviewing voice phones last week, I noticed impressive performance from a MediaTek 6739 in the Sunbeam F1, which has a snappier limited-Android interface than competitors using the older, slower Qualcomm Snapdragon 205 and 210. Kyocera is running the speedier Snapdragon 215, but that appears to be more expensive.
MediaTek could be slowly climbing up the tiers of American smartphones, too. The new Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, which T-Mobile is giving away, runs on MediaTek's Dimensity 720. Verizon has signaled that it approves of MediaTek's high-end M80 modem for next year's phones by using it in a test combining two of its 5G bands.
Finally, some reports say (and I agree) that Apple will stop using Qualcomm modems for iPhones in 2023. Qualcomm makes innovative products that perform well, but the company needs to step up its game while cutting its prices, or it may find itself reduced to a mere fraction of its current near-monopolistic glory in the US.
Next week, I'll be watching Google I/O for news of less expensive flagship phones—and Qualcomm's 5G Summit to see how it will respond to this long overdue challenge. Will you be? Let me know.
What Else Happened This Week?
- Asus released its Zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 Flip. The Zenfone 8 looks like a terrific small Android phone, but Asus has very poor US marketing, which means few people are likely to learn about this intriguing option.
- Verizon upped its simple phone game with the Nokia 2720 V Flip. It runs KaiOS and tries to hit that "I want a flip, but my family is on WhatsApp" demographic.
- Rugged-phone maker Sonim may be going under, Light Reading reports. That's a real pity; the company has always made solid phones, and its XP3 has been a top choice of mine on AT&T for almost two years now.
- Mobile World Congress, which is still on for late June, is looking more and more like a zombie trade show. Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Samsung all pulled out this week. The Spanish government is desperate for tourist dollars, but an empty MWC is going to have a hard time providing them.
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