In the first part of a wide-ranging interview that touches on many of the challenges faced by leading mobile-technology companies today, HEXUS interviews Rob Chandhok, senior vice president of software strategy for Qualcomm.
We quiz him on what his job entails; the firm's plans for optimising software to run on Qualcomm hardware; how it plans to simplify interoperability between mobile devices; the obstacles faced in designing and supporting sub-$100 smartphones, and how Qualcomm is looking outside the box to find ways to improve the usefulness of all mobile phones.
In the second part, Rob explains what excites him about Windows Phone 8 and Windows RT, describing why Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform is a good fit for the new breed of Redmond's mobile-orientated operating systems. Rob goes on elucidate the key advantages of Qualcomm hardware when compared to 'equivalent' Intel platforms operating in soon-to-be-available tablets and convertible notebooks.
Changing gears and talking about software, Rob reinforces Qualcomm's belief that the vast majority of applications will be based on HTML5, countering the headline-grabbing assertion from Facebook boss, Mark Zuckerberg, that betting on HTML5 was his company's 'biggest mistake.'
Rounding off matters, Rob gives his view on the software challenges and opportunities faced by Qualcomm, and by extension the industry, over the next 12-24 months. And throwing him a delicious curve ball, we ask him how mobile phones will evolve in the next five years.
