But TI exec reckons even users in developing countries will opt for phones with more capabilities
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Mobile phones could be sold wholesale for as little as $15 by the end of 2008, although the result might be a handset nobody wants, an executive from chip maker Texas Instruments (Profile, Products, Articles) said Tuesday.
“It’s definitely possible, though that’s a very aggressive target,” said Bill Krenik, manager of TI’s advanced wireless chip architectures, in a telephone interview. The GSM Association set the $15 wholesale price target during the recent 3GSM World Congress in Singapore. During the show, the group announced that Motorola (Profile, Products, Articles) had won a contract to provide low-cost handsets aimed at poor countries for its design of a sub-$30 handset. The ultra-low cost handset, which sports a black-and-white screen, durable plastic cover and battery life of 175 to 400 hours on standby, is intended to be used mainly for talking.
Article at InfoWorld
