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Qualcomm is having another go at making a dent in the affordable handsets market, and its latest bet is bringing 4G LTE capability to feature phones.。

The chipmaker announced on Monday a new line of chips for entry-level phones.。

The SoC (system-on-a-chip) line is called the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform, and is the first time it's bringing 4G LTE capability to feature phones, company executives said.。

Although feature phones are quickly disappearing from developed markets, they are still very popular in developing regions such as India.
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Last year alone, about 148 million feature phones shipped in India, according to marketing research firm Counterpoint.。

But Qualcomm, which holds the tentpole position in high-end smartphone markets, continues to struggle in entry-level smartphones and feature phone markets.。

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The company’s processor powered just 12 percent of entry-level smartphones that were shipped in India last year, Tarun Pathak, senior analyst at Counterpoint said, adding that Qualcomm has virtually no presence in feature phones segment. 。

Rival chipmaker Mediatek assumes a better position, in comparison.。

LONDON - OCTOBER 16: A '3' network mobile phone is held on Oxford Street October 16, 2003 in London, England. The 3 network became available in 60% of the UK during July 2003. 3 is the first to offer 2-way mobile video calling in the UK. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)Credit: Getty Images 。

In addition to 4G LTE support, the Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform also brings advanced LTE data services such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi), improved power consumption, and up to 150Mbps download speeds.
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The Qualcomm 205 Mobile Platform is a dual-core processor clocked at 1.1GHz. The processor is designed to support Linux-based operating systems and can house up to 3-megapixel rear and selfie camera on a phone.。

The move comes at a time when several smartphone manufacturers are rekindling their love for feature phones. Nokia reintroduced the 3310 handset at MWC.。

India’s Reliance Jio is working on a range of feature phones too, according to four people familiar with the matter.
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