By PTI

New Delhi: With 3G services set to be rolled out by the year-end,mobile chipset maker Qualcomm said it is in talks with vendors and original equipment manufacturers to launch 3G enabled affordable smartphones in the country at a price tag of below Rs10,000.

“We are working with our OEMs to bring to market smartphones at an affordable range of below Rs10,000,” Qualcomm vice-president and country manager of technology Sandeep Sibal told PTI. He said Qualcomm would work with OEM partners to make smartphones a mass-use product. Qualcomm has OEM partners like ZTE, Huawei, LG, Samsung, HTC.

Smartphones have complete features of mobile phones and personal computer like functionality. Last month, Apple Inc launched its much-touted iPhone in the country in tie up with Vodafone and Airtel at Rs31,000 and Rs36,000.

The current price of smartphones from most of the branded vendors is over Rs15,000 and this has discouraged mass use of these high-end phones. Last month, communications and IT Minister A Rajasaid said the spectrum for the 3G services would be auctioned by October-end and hoped that services in the country would start by the year-end.

Even as most CDMA (code division multiple access) operators in the country are planning to offer telecom services in GSM (global systems for mobile communications) as well, Sibal said it is unlikely to affect Qualcomm’s business here as it has much to offer in the India market. Moreover, some operators like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Shyam are planning significant expansion in CDMA services, he added.