Qualcomm Reference Design

In today’s dynamic, highly competitive high-volume smartphone segment, speeding time to market is a critical concern for device manufacturers. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has dramatically shortened that cycle to an average of 60 days or less with its Qualcomm Reference Design program. Moreover, the Qualcomm Reference Design program has greatly broadened the base of global manufacturers in the smartphone market. Today, more than 40 manufacturers have launched more than 170 commercial Qualcomm Reference Design-based devices.

Launched in 2011, the goal of the Qualcomm Reference Design program remains to provide Qualcomm OEM and ODM customers with a solution that gets high-performance and differentiated devices from concept to launch – faster, and at a lower development cost. For device manufacturers who need to compete and win in the dynamic high-volume smartphone market, the Qualcomm Reference Design program is the only program that brings together the value of the mobile industry leader with specific products, features and support for emerging markets.

Device manufactures should not have to trade off quality and innovation for price. The Qualcomm Reference Design program offers Qualcomm’s leading technical innovation, differentiated hardware and software, easy customization options, testing and acceptance readiness for regional and leading operator requirements, and access to a complete ecosystem of Qualcomm Technologies’ vendors and providers. This ecosystem is key to enabling Qualcomm Reference Design customers to quickly and cost-effectively commercialize differentiated devices – with the best components at the most competitive prices.

Based on MSM7225/7227, MSM7x25a/7x27a, MSM8x25, MSM8x25Q, MSM8x30 and MSM8x26 Snapdragon mobile processors with an integrated modem, Qualcomm Reference Designs provides manufacturers with an expanding portfolio supporting various 3G and 2G network technologies including LTE-TDD, TD-SCDMA, DSDS/DSDA – providing a smooth upgrade path to the newest Snapdragon S4 Plus (8x30) and S4 Play (8x25Q, 8x26) processors. Qualcomm Reference Designs include all of the key components OEMs need to build and quickly commercialize a smartphone: hardware design (including printed circuit board schematics), bill of materials, mechanical design, antenna design, software (including firmware), a customizable UI toolkit and an ecosystem of third party hardware components and software apps and services that have been tested and verified.

Qualcomm Reference Design tools assist manufacturers during the complete lifecycle of designing, developing and building Android-based devices. The tools assist with everything from developing and debugging software, to fine tuning the performance of software and hardware components, to performing factory testing. For instance, Qualcomm Reference Designs offer a camera tuning tool that allows faster production time and better quality image capture, enabling manufactures to create low-cost designs with cameras competitive with best-in-class smartphones. Qualcomm Technologies also introduced a new on-line hub for device manufacturers that enables them to quickly and easily receive a custom device software package per their unique specifications, including third party component drivers and consumer apps.

Qualcomm Reference Design customers continue to execute and launch multiple designs with an increasing time to launch advantage. One key factor is the design leverage that provides pin-to-pin compatibility from various platforms to the next, allowing for a smooth upgrade path to the newest Snapdragon S4 Plus (8x30) and S4 Play (8x25Q, 8x26) processors, and enabling additional development cost savings and time to market advantage.

Qualcomm Technologies is committed to providing device manufactures with the specific products, features and programs to succeed in emerging global regions. To date, Qualcomm Reference Design-based devices have been commercialized in 13 countries with established regional testing support in China, India, Indonesia and Brazil. The company also collaborates with regional software ecosystems to enable popular local apps for Qualcomm Reference Design-based devices and provides regional language packs – all to simplify and help speed entry into local markets.