LAS VEGAS—Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs today delivered a keynote at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a number of device partners and Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor emerging as stars of the show.
"We're here today to talk about the convergence of wireless in consumer electronics, because it's happening in a big, big way," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said that consumer electronics will now be controlled via the cell phone, noting that the convergence is a natural one as the industry has spent the past decade trying to embed consumer and Internet technologies into the cell phone itself.
Early on in his presentation, Jacobs invited Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, onto the stage. Chou promptly introduced the HTC Smart, a new smartphone that runs on Qualcomm's Brew Mobile platform and features HTC's popular UI, HTC Sense. Chou refrained from saying whether the Smart will run on Qualcomm's speedy Snapdragon processor.
Additionally, the HTC Smart features a compact form factor and touchscreen. Jacobs pitched the Brew platform with enthusiasm, referring to AT&T’s decision to also support the Brew Mobile Platform on devices later this year.
Yuanqing Yang, CEO of Lenovo, was also asked to the stage. He took the opportunity to demo that company's first smartbook, a device category that Qualcomm introduced early last year. The smartbook is a cross between the smartphone and a netbook.
Lenovo's smartbook is called the Skylight and runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Judging by the looks of the smartbook, it’s hard to deny that the term itself is a matter of branding symantics. Beyond a slightly smaller size, there was little to differentiate it from a netbook.
The third Qualcomm partner to take the stage was HP. That company demonstrated the new HP Android smartbook, which also runs the Snapdragon processor. The device features a full touchscreen and is similar in form factor to Lenovo's offering.