After staying away from the consumer electronics market for a number of years, tech company Qualcomm might well be returning with a bang at some point in the near future. The company has contented itself for some time with making components for other devices, such as its Snapdragon chipsets which have proven popular on both the Android and iOS sides of the mobile tech aisle, but consumers could see it breaking into the gaming market by as early as next year.
It's not entirely clear just yet exactly what the company's plans are, but a source reported to Android Police recently that Qualcomm was experimenting with designs for its own Android-powered handheld gaming console. The device was apparently heavily inspired by the Nintendo Switch in its current form, with two detachable controllers flanking a central console element that would support display-out capabilities to an external TV or screen.
According to AP's David Ruddock, the device would come bundled with the latest Snapdragon chipset, offering 5G and a slew of other sensors and running Android 12 with full support for Google's Play services. The console would also ship with a hefty 6,000 mAh battery equipped with the company's Quick Charge technology to guarantee an impressive amount of battery life. The unnamed source stated that Qualcomm is looking to launch the device in Q1 2022, offering direct sales to consumers as well as partnering with US carriers. Ruddock also suggested that Qualcomm's hopes to support the Epic Games Store on the device at launch might mean that the long wait for the mobile app might soon be over.
Many of these claims were supported by XDA editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman on Twitter, though he noted that his own source on the subject had indicated that the product was intended to be more of "a reference design for a gaming phone" than an actual commercial product. He also commented that the target price of $300 for the device doesn't gel with the cost of other phones on the market with the Snapdragon 888 chipset, meaning it would likely end up costing more if it does become available to consumers.
This isn't the first time a company has "borrowed" liberally from the Switch's design in their own creations. Chinese company Tencent recently had a patent approved for a console of their own bearing a striking resemblance to Nintendo's hybrid device, running on Windows and without detachable controllers.
If Qualcomm intends to try and challenge Nintendo at their own game, it'll certainly have it's work cut out. Rumors continue to swirl around the development of the Switch Pro, which will inevitably give the company a boost both in sales and prestige. Nevertheless, mobile and portable gaming is a vast space with plenty of opportunity to iterate and experiment, so perhaps there will still be room at the table for Qualcomm if their plans do indeed come to fruition.
Source: Android Police