back to article Landfill Android devices set to get 4G, courtesy of Qualcomm

Qualcomm's latest chips will bring 4G LTE to mid-range devices, including Windows RT tablets and medium-priced handsets, as the tech goes mainstream. The new chips are part of the Snapdragon line, which puts an entire system, including a few ARM cores and networking stacks, onto a single wafer. LTE has been in the Snapdragon …

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  1. Ged T
    Thumb Up

    Consolidated capability in silicon

    It's great to see these all the mobile computing capabilities being consolidated in SoC-like solutions; heartening, too, that these devices will benefit mid-range platforms, other than Windows RT.

  2. James Hughes 1

    Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

    to describe perfectly functional phones.

    All phones eventually end up in something akin to landfill. No need to pick on Android.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      Surely the term is better suited to microsoft.

      Anyone remember WP7, windows mobile 6.5??

      I thought not.

      1. Panimu

        Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

        Windows Mobile 6.5 was great. Did everything I wanted, and simply.

      2. Matt_payne666

        Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

        Windows Mobile 6.5?? no one really uses that any more... have you has a look at the pricing guns & racks of self scan readers in most of the large supermarkets? or the hand held POD scanners used by delivery drivers...

        Or can you give an example of an Android or Apple mobile OS of that age that is still in widespread use?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      "Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      to describe perfectly functional phones.

      All phones eventually end up in something akin to landfill."

      This also encourages more consumerism and more waste. Just what we don't need.

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

        Didn't you get the memo that tell you in no uncertain terms that you have to keep spending money that you don't have on stuff you don't need simply to keep worked in some far off land in a job?

        Think of all those workers you are going to put out of a job buy NOT buying more 'stuff'.

        Your Mobile Phone producer needs to in order to keep out of Bankruptcy. The Wrath of Samsung will be upon you if you don't buy a new one every 6 months.

        Being serious for a moment, people are quick to complain about the release schedule of Apple but isn't a one per year (or thereabouts) and with 3-4 year software upgrades a whole lot better for the environment than the seemingly endless new releases from the likes of Samsung? I really don't know but I am sure to get downvoted for not slagging off Apple at every opportunity and no, I don't own an iPhone/iPad.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      Are you trying to parody fanbois or are you really that fucking sensitive? I bet your the one that complained to the BBC...

      1. Tim Parker

        @coward Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

        "Are you trying to parody fanbois or are you really that fucking sensitive? I bet your the one that complained to the BBC..."

        At least he had the balls to post under this own name...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

          "At least he had the balls to post under this own name..."

          That old canard...

          1. Tim Parker

            Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

            "At least he had the balls to post under this own name..."

            That old canard...

            It's hardly unfounded, is it ?

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

              "It's hardly unfounded, is it ?" Perhaps canard is the wrong term. However, your comment is a classic red herring, an true *ad hominem*. You are attacking their anonymity and not the validity of their point which is that James is being sensitive.

              1. James Hughes 1

                Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

                Perhaps I am sensitive. Still better than being anonymous.

                But IMNOHO, the term landfill Android is complete nonsense and inappropriate, and therefore should not be used.

                And no, I've never complained to the BBC. Although I once wrote a stroppy letter to my village newsletter. I let them have it in no uncertain terms. Although I did forget to send it.

                I'm also not a duck, or back to front plane.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

                  @JH -1 Can I ask why you care ? It's a phone for god's sake. I mean, even if you worked for Google I doubt your job description includes 'defend android against media slurs' - so why the angst ?

                  It's a serious question. I'm continually staggered at the amount of emotion and time people invest in stuff like this.

              2. Tim Parker

                @SimB Re: @coward Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

                "You are attacking their anonymity and not the validity of their point which is that James is being sensitive."

                Yes, that is precisely what i'm doing - i'm saying if they have something worth saying then come out and say it yourself but not judging their point of view. Please re-read the the post I was replying to and use your judgement of ad hominem argument on that. I deliberately made no comment on the original post one way or the other, just that one person had an opinion and voiced it using their username and someone else insults them under cover of anonymity. My comment is not a 'red herring', merely an expression of disgust at people who don't seem to have the courage of their convictions, not at their opinion (no matter how snidely I thought it phrased).

    4. Tom 7

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      But Windows phones end up in museums and collections with other rare items.

    5. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      I think the implication, realistic or not, is that the cheapest devices won't be discounted if they don't sell, they'll be buried or recycled (recycle please!) because the manufacturer makes more money by selling you the cheap version of the next good thing. It's Android - or it may be - because you can put Android on a device for no licensing fee, although if you want your company to be friends with Google then it isn't that straightforward. But in China there are alternative Android infrastructures to Google.

      And meanwhile the poor folk in Africa can probably use all the IT they can get, although I have an antique PC that I don't think they're going to thank me for. It's probably a real power hog, for a start, given how little actual work it does.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      Phones shouldn't end up in landfills. Junk drawers are where my phones end up. All are fully functional, if nothing else WiFi phones. They make good mp3 players also. If I had to trash a phone it would go to an electronics recycler. Obviously "landfill" was use here to "trash" perfectly good phones.

    7. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      Interesting that another El-Reg author is now using the same term. THe cynical might come to the conclusion that some higher power at Redmond is manipulating them....

      1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

        Nah, we just like calling out crap/cheap'n'cheerful hardware for what it is.

        1. James Hughes 1

          Re: Please stop using the term 'Landfill' android @gazthealledgedjourno

          So, why not call it cheap and cheerful hardware then, because as you so eloquently put it, that's exactly what it is.

          Actually, since you are the journo, would it be possible for you to dig up these figures. I'd be interested to know what proportion of cheap and cheerful phones are replaced within, lets say, 2 years, vs expensive high end phones that are replaced in the same timescale. I'm guessing the high end are replaced more often than the low end (although the high end do have better resale value).

          But I'm thinking that is quite possible that the number of each each that end up in 'landfill' (although that's not where they go according the WEE regs in the UK) is going to be roughly similar.

    8. Rampant Spaniel

      Re: Plesase stop using the term 'Landfill' android

      Sorry you are mistaken. Iphones don't end up in a landfill. Gabriel himself assists them ascend to a higher plane of existance. Nothing an iphone does is as mundane and unmagical as being thrown in the trash.

      Joking aside it would be interesting to see if iphones ended up in landfills less often (or rather had a longer life before heading there). I have a hunch they get donated to rellies or sold more often than android phones. I use android myself but it always seems like when an iphone is due to be replaced theres a queue of cousins wanting it yet when an android phone gets retired it is consigned to a desk drawer.

  3. Chairo

    Landfill?

    "landfill android" is in my eyes something with an underpowered sub 1GHz single core CPU running gingerbread or lower and no 3D capability worth mentioning. Those new snapdragon SOCs will hardly fit this bill.

    1. Darryl

      Re: Landfill?

      This. I'd hardly call a 'dual or quad core' phone a cheap phone.

    2. mark l 2 Silver badge

      Re: Landfill?

      My Orange San fran (ZTE Blade) has less than a 1ghz single core cpu and with CM10.1 happily runs Jellybean and it quite responsive, it won't do HD video but if you encode your videos to 800x600 or lower MP4 it plays fine and as its only a small screen you can't tell the difference in quality, watched several movies on it on a flight to Singapore last year so i will be keeping it for a while yet

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Landfill?

        Sshhh, anyone with a brain knows not all Androids are equal.

        You can buy good and average Android budget handsets. At least Windows Phone is consistent I suppose, they are all crap.

  4. Mage Silver badge

    Also patents

    This is why Qualcomm bought Flarion and killed of its early Flash-OFDMA based 4G markets about 5 or 6 years ago. They only wanted the patents and technology.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    I guess I wouldn't mind a midrange landfill android phone

    if it has 4G , loads web pages quicker than my 3 year old HTC Desire, and has a battery that lasts longer than an hour or so.

    Since I don't want a 5 -> 6 inch slab phone that would make me look like a later day Dom Joly saying "I'M ON THE PHONE" , held up to my ear , and I'd rather not spend 600 quid on something that makes me a mugging target, but then I guess the 300 quid landfill android also makes me a mugging target too.

    now where to find 300 quid , maybe I could sell my wife and kids .........( only joking;) )

  6. Arnold Lieberman
    Thumb Up

    Star N9589

    My current phone has:

    1.2GHz quad core processor

    1Gb RAM

    Will take a 64Gb micro SDXC card (32Gb atm)

    5.7" 1280x720 screen

    2 SIM slots, 1x HSPA, 1xGSM.

    Android 4.2.1, regularly updated.

    GPS, BT, Wifi N etc.

    It lasts a couple of days with regular use and comes with a spare battery.

    All for £160, delivered and SIM free.

    Does everything I need of it. Why would I want to pay more?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Stop

      Re: Star N9589

      "My current phone has:"

      Yawwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

      1. Arnold Lieberman
        Go

        Re: Star N9589

        Perhaps you misunderstood... that wasn't a brag (precisely why I *don't* buy labels), but to point out that you can get a lot of tech for little money if you're not wedded to the name brands. The phrase "landfill Android" does a disservice to the capabilities of relatively cheap phones.

        That is all.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Landfill is a crap term

    coined by someone with bugger all understanding of how good (well, good-ish) cheap Android phones have become.

    I've just bought my 13 year old son a Huawei Ascend G510. £130 on Vodafone PAYG but I got it for £110 because I've been with Vodafone since the year dot. 4.5inch 480 x 854 screen, Android 4.1.2 and a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU and you know what? It's a very nice bit of kit, runs smooth as you like and the 5mp camera isn't all that bad. Only 4GB of storage but there a microSD cards slot so who cares. It's also very well made and feels solid.

    Downsides? The battery is too small (1700mAh but removable) so it only just manages a full day and the screen could use more brightness for outdoor use. It's pretty dire in direct sunlight. For the money though it's outstanding value. I'm thinking of buying another as a spare/travel phone for me or the missus (both Android users, me Nexus 4, her Galaxy S4).

    There a pretty solid review over on TechRadar.

    I get the impression that some writers at the Reg reckon that entry level Android phones are still on a par with the first (2010) ZTE Blade. Or maybe the makers of inexpensive Android kit aren't as forthcoming with the free trips and free kit as Nokia seems to be.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Landfill is a crap term

      G510 is basically an updated G300, aka Orange San Diego. As a reluctant (business) San Diego user, it isn't a patch on a Sammy GS2, so I'd not buy a G510 at any price. Like mid price phones from most makers, you'll be in the lurch when it comes to support or updates.

      But it's your money.

      1. Peter Bond
        WTF?

        Re: Landfill is a crap term

        what utter, utter rubbish

        the Orange San Diego is not the G300 at all, it's not even made by Huawei but is an Intel Atom-powered reference handset made by ODM Gigabyte.

        The G510 has virtually nothing in common with the G300 either - different CPU, larger screen, different body. Yes it more or less replaces the G300 as the standard Huawei mid-price handset and some of the components like the camera may be common but that's as far as it goes.

        Granted I'd like a Galaxy S2 for the same price but care to point out where one can be found for £130? 3 is offering it on PAYG for £330. Unlocked the best price I can find is £280. More than twice the price of the G510.

        Twit.

  8. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

    Won't get thrown before LTE comes out here...

    Well, here in the 'states, they won't get thrown into the landfill before they see 4G. Iowa City is fairly rural, and I have a choice of two LTE providers now. I expect 4 out of 5 carriers will have LTE here in the next year or so.

    Verizon has LTE over more than half their coverage area (which is quite extensive). They still claim this will reach 100% by this month (it covers around 2/3rds of my home state). I can't see how, but at the rate it's been expanding it should be done by next year (the main areas left to cover are western deserts basically.)

    Sprint has some LTE (none in my home state.)

    AT&T and T-Mobile initially just saw Verizon start rolling LTE so fast, and just decided they'd falsely claim their upgraded 3G networks are 4G so they could claim 4G coverage without, you know, actually rolling any 4G coverage. But, AT&T now is rolling LTE, and T-Mobile is rolling a bit too. (AT&T has no LTE yet in my state, and T-Mobile doesn't have any service in Iowa -- they have IWireless own and operate their licenses here.)

    The regional carrier US Cellular also has LTE covering almost my entire home state.

    Other regional carrier, IWireless, focuses on price. I don't see LTE from them any time soon, they got 3G here about a year or two ago (and most of their network is EDGE.) They joined in the same time as T-Mobile labelling their 3G service as 4G.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I feel for Pichai...

    The reason I have not followed the chumperati chasing an Android is the generally poor support in the states. Lock you in for years, throw away the key, laugh at the monkeys in the cage screaming every time a cold boot is needed to recover. Well, maybe being chained to your phone is OK if the phone keeps getting updated and doesn't chronically go titsup (just try to figure out which Android fits that category before the phone is replaced with a new version (with some bugs fixed, and others added). By the time everyone (or anyone) figures out which droid is maybe sort of reliable, you can't get that phone anymore!).

    Worse, the droid price isn't that much different from the iphone price. You'd think for a chump droid experience you'd save a lot of money, but nooooo. So I have an iPhone and have to live in the walled garden.

    Note for those battery fiends claiming their phone will run for an eon per charge: Try sitting the phone down somewhere with one bar signal that fades in an out. Oh, now it only lasts a few hours, ooops. Sure, eon near a cell tower, face down flat line in no time with a weak signal. The old Razr and many other phones of that antediluvian era were notorious for this, although less so now. Still, the weak signal effect lives on, but all those quoted run numbers are 5 bar near the tower numbers apparently created by market droids (haha) for glassy eyed clueless consumers.

    1. Arnold Lieberman
      FAIL

      Re: I feel for Pichai...

      'cos iPhones "just work"?

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