- Asus and Qualcomm reportedly work together to make gaming phones.
- At least one of the phones could run on the Snapdragon 875 processor.
- It is believed the phones could hit the market as early as the end of this year.
The gaming phone segment has seen numerous entries in recent years, with Asus, Black Shark, Iqoo, and Nubia all launching phones recently. Now it looks like the Silicon Kingpin Qualcomm might join the party.
Taiwanese tech outlet Digitimes (Subscription Required) reports that Qualcomm will partner with Asus to develop and market Qualcomm branded gaming phones relying on industry sources. The outlet adds that the phones could start as early as the end of the year.
It is believed that Asus will be tasked with the design and development of the hardware, while Qualcomm will be responsible for the "industry design" and "software integration to optimize its Snapdragon 875 platform".
Qualcomm traditionally launches its new flagship silicon in December. Equipment availability is widespread from the first quarter of the following year. So it stands to reason that a Snapdragon 875 smartphone from the duo won't be available until early next year, when there is a kick-off event in 2020.
What would a joint effort look like?
Sources told Digitimes The agreement also provides for the joint purchase of components needed for both the Asus ROG Phone gaming phones and the Qualcomm gaming phones. Parts mentioned include screens, memories, camera modules, batteries and cooling solutions.
This suggests that a Qualcomm branded gaming phone could share hardware DNA with current or future ROG phones. A joint purchase would also allow Asus to leverage economies of scale to lower production costs and gain more bargaining power for its own phone line, the outlet said.
The website adds that Qualcomm and Asus are projected to produce around a million phones per year, with 500,000 devices dedicated to Qualcomm branded gaming phones and the remainder going under the ROG Phone brand.
There isn't any specs or other details available on these phones just yet, but all you need to do is look at the company's ROG Phone lineup and other gaming phones to get an idea of what to expect. Features of today's gaming phones include high refresh rate screens, shoulder triggers or other extra buttons, advanced cooling solutions, premium silicon, and a large battery.
We asked Qualcomm for a comment and will update the article if they reply. Would you buy a Qualcomm branded gaming smartphone? Take our poll near the top of the page!
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