ST-Ericsson has developed a platform that supports Android, which manufacturers could use to produce smartphones with a wholesale price of less than EUR100, depending on the final device specification. A highly-integrated and power-efficient platform, the U6715 promises to significantly broaden the smartphone segment, making these advanced and customizable handsets affordable for the mass-market.

ST-Ericsson anticipates manufacturers will launch the first commercial products based on the U6715 platform in the first half of 2010, meeting growing demand for compact and low-cost smartphones. These handsets will be capable of downloading and running a wide range of applications that enable consumers to customize their phones to access the services that fit their lifestyle.

"There is a huge surge in consumer demand for handsets that can be customized with downloadable apps, but, up to now, smartphones have been too expensive for many potential buyers," said Marc Cetto, Senior Vice President and head of 3G and Multimedia division at ST-Ericsson. "Our U6715 platform has been designed to enable the smartphone to break out of its current high-end niche and become a true mass-market product in 2010."

Designed to run Linux-based operating systems, such as Android, the U6715 platform can support all the essentials of the smartphone experience, enabling consumers to enjoy navigation, web browsing, video streaming, email, WiFi, a five megapixel camera, a touch screen and much, much more.

The U6715 also includes an HSPA modem capable of delivering downlink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. Equipped with a 1000mA battery, smartphones based on the platform can play music for up to 40 hours and provide a talk time of up to 7 hours on a 3G network on one battery charge, or even remain on standby for up to 25 days.

For more information on the new platform visit http://www.stericsson.com/platforms/U6715.jsp