Karbonn launches first phone on Broadcom chipsets

NEW DELHI: Mobile devices company Karbonn has selected US chip maker Broadcom for its new range of 3G smartphones, following a trend where some home grown phone makers are using chipsets made by western companies.

Initially, Indian handset makers build their products largely based on chipsets by East Asian companies.

However, since last couple of years US chipmaker companies like Qualcomm and Intel have started making inroads in to mobile devices of Indian home grown companies like Lava and Micromax.

As part of the tie-up, Karbonn launched its first smartphone, Karbonn Smart A12, priced at Rs 7,990 yesterday.

"It is herein with the partnership with Broadcom to bring in our premier 3G enabled mobility device that we seek to cater to the nascent needs of the young and aspiring consumer base of the country," Karbonn Mobile Executive Director Shashin Devsare said.

The 3G platform of Broadcom used in the dual SIM supporting Karbonn's Smart A12 mobile phone has 1GHz ARM processor and a modem that can support support download speed of up to 7.2 megabit per second, the company said.

The chipset supports both 2G and 3G cellular network, GPS system, Wi-Fi and has a power management unit embedded in it.

"As users around the world shift from 2G feature phones to more sophisticated 3G phones, Broadcom's integrated platform will enable OEMs (device makers) to reach new consumers with entry-level, high-caliber smartphones," Broadcom Senior Vice President Nambi Seshadri said.