Qualcomm announced Wednesday that it is now shipping its 4G LTE Gobi 4000 platform to OEMs. The platform combines its 3G/4G wireless modems, the MDM9600 and the MDM9200, and the Gobi API that will allow manufacturers to create devices with support for LTE/HSPA+ and LTE/EV-DO networks. “To make Gobi 4000 available to as many consumers as possible, Qualcomm has worked hard to ensure that OEMs can use the platform on many commonly used personal computing, tablet and e-reader operating systems, including Windows and Android, and hardware architectures, such as our powerful Snapdragon dual-core and quad-core processors,” Qualcomm CDMA Technologies senior vice president of product management Cristiano Amon said. Many manufacturers use Qualcomm’s Gobi technology, including Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Novatel and Sierra Wireless. Apple uses older Gobi technology in its CDMA iPad 2 and iPhone 4, which means it’s very possible that we’ll see Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 platform used in a 4G iPhone and iPad. In addition to the Gobi 4000 announcement, Qualcomm announced 8 new S4 processors (the MSM8660A, MSM9260A, MSM8630, MSM8230, MSM8627, MSM8227, APQ8060A, and the APQ8030) that use the company’s Krait CPU. The chips were designed for next-generation smartphones and tablets and are expected to hit the market early next year. Read on for Qualcomm’s full Gobi 4000 press release.
Qualcomm Announces Commercial Availability of Gobi 4000 Platform for 4G LTE Connectivity
Fourth Generation Gobi Platform Provides High-speed 4G LTE Connectivity with Backward Compatibility to EV-DO and HSPA+ Networks
SAN DIEGO – November 15, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced availability of Gobi™ 4000, its latest addition to the Gobi family of embedded data connectivity platforms. Based on Qualcomm’s leading multimode 3G/4G wireless modems, the MDM9600™ and MDM9200™, and a common software interface (Gobi API) for connection management development, the Gobi 4000 platform allows customers to offer both LTE/HSPA+ and LTE/EV-DO designs to meet the growing demand for embedded 3G/4G connectivity in mobile devices worldwide. Gobi 4000-based modules are now available from Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless.
“Embedded modules based on our new Gobi 4000 technology are designed to give consumers an uncompromised mobile connectivity experience, both in terms of download speeds and flexibility,” said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “To make Gobi 4000 available to as many consumers as possible, Qualcomm has worked hard to ensure that OEMs can use the platform on many commonly used personal computing, tablet and e-reader operating systems, including Windows® and Android, and hardware architectures, such as our powerful Snapdragon™ dual-core and quad-core processors.”
Qualcomm’s latest Gobi-enabled 4G platform features the Gobi Application Programming Interface (API) with LTE extensions and is compatible with leading connectivity standards, including CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Rev. A and B, HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+, and LTE with integrated backwards compatibility to HSPA and EV-DO. The Gobi 4000 platform also includes software enhancements for select MDM™ chipsets that enable a common software interface to help connect, locate and manage 3G/4G devices regardless of wireless interface and operating system. This interface will help streamline product development efforts, spur application development among third-party software developers, and deliver greater flexibility to device manufacturers.
As one of the largest providers of wireless chipset and software technology in the industry, Qualcomm has a diverse chipset and software product portfolio spanning multiple device classes. System designers now have the flexibility to choose an embedded Gobi 4000 platform for high-speed 4G LTE support, or an embedded Gobi 3000 platform for worldwide 3G connectivity. Qualcomm also offers its family of Snapdragon all-in-one processors with the option for integrated multimode 3G/4G, dual-band Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth, FM radio connectivity and differing numbers of CPU cores for the most power-efficient designs.
“Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 platform provides the 4G LTE support our customers demand for mobility in Dell’s Latitude E6420 laptops,” said Kirk Schell, executive director and general manager of Dell’s Business Client Product Group. “We look forward to giving our customers fast 4G network connections and increased productivity with the addition of the Gobi 4000 modules to our mobile broadband technology offerings.”
“Combining the performance, security and reliability of our ThinkPad laptops with Qualcomm’s Gobi platform has proven to be a compelling solution for our customers,” said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, ThinkPad Marketing, Lenovo. “We look forward to continuing this tradition of delivering quality broadband mobile computing solutions with the addition of Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 technology to our ThinkPad laptops’ connectivity options.”
“We are offering multiple 4G LTE platforms incorporating Qualcomm’s Gobi 4000 technology within our Expedite® Module portfolio,” said Rob Hadley, CMO, Novatel Wireless. “With our long-standing tier-one carrier and OEM relationships and our leading design, integration and certification expertise, we are excited to help our customers bring commercial 4G LTE-capable laptops, tablets and the rapidly growing number of other devices requiring 4G connectivity to market.”
“Sierra Wireless has been using Qualcomm’s Gobi technology in our embedded wireless modules for quite some time, including in our AirPrime™ MC7700, MC7710 and MC7750 modules for LTE networks, which we introduced late last year,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice president and general manager, Mobile Computing for Sierra Wireless. “Our customers value the performance and flexibility that Gobi technology offers, and we are pleased to continue our collaboration with Qualcomm to provide the new Gobi 4000 technology in our product line.”
