Android's roots deepen in China with Zoom, Qualcomm agreement

China is the next great frontier for Android's expansion. Chinese telecommunications makers Huawei and ZTE have been incrementally expanding their global 3G Android smartphone portfolios, and Tuesday, Zoom Technologies said it will be joining the market next.

Qualcomm on Wednesday announced it had signed a WCDMA and TD-SCDMA licensing agreement with Chinese holding company Zoom Technologies. The two wireless standards are the most common 3G standards in China, and by licensing Qualcomm's technology, Zoom and its subsidiary Nollec Wireless will be able to create 3G subscriber equipment for China.

"This agreement with Qualcomm is an enormous step towards our advancement in the 3G market, enabling us to produce the latest products for the dynamic Chinese market," said Mr. Leo Gu, chairman and chief executive officer of Zoom Technologies. "Our Nollec Wireless subsidiary, long known for its world class design team in wireless communication, will now develop highly competitive 3G products, such as smartphones, running on the Android operating system, setting in motion our plan to deliver a series of professional-use 3G smartphones to Asia, Europe and beyond."

Zoom Technologies began its eponymous mobile phone branding initiative at the end of 2010 by dropping its existing Jiangsu Leimone brand.

The company said at the time that its mission was to produce consumer products for all of China's top-tier mobile phone companies.