Qualcomm: $50 3G Phones Coming

Wireless technology company Qualcomm said Tuesday at 3GSM that it expects low-cost phones for third generation cell networks to arrive within two years. Pricing could be as low as $50, with the help of $10 to $15 Wideband CDMA chipsets designed by the company. Wideband CDMA is the successor to GSM networks.

Qualcomm, which dominates the CDMA market, does not compete in the GSM arena. But the ongoing transition to 3G services means the door has been opened for Qualcomm to challenge GSM chipset leader Texas Instruments. Qualcomm is even looking beyond Wideband CDMA and testing chips for faster HSDPA, or High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, networks.