The first wave of hybrid netbook/smartphone devices dubbed smartbooks are now being announced by a small number of technology companies.
Qualcomm recently showed off a new Lenovo-made smartbook based off the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, with company CEO Paul Jacobs announcing the device would be officially introduced during CES.
AT&T will support the new smartbook in the United States, but it's unknown when the smartbook will actually be released. The device uses the Brew Mobile Platform OS, a Linux-based user interface designed for smartbooks. It includes support for Facebook, e-mail and several other widgets designed to offer easy access to online applications.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon chip is a part of the MSM7x30 chipset family, and has been designed specifically for enhanced multimedia performance and video playback. It is reportedly smaller than the Palm Pre smartphone and its battery is used mostly for powering the screen.
It should also supports high-definition video playback, but Qualcomm didn't specifically list what resolutions will be supported.
Qualcomm is known for creating chipsets used in smartphones -- and is now branching into smartbooks -- with the company anticipating the popularity of mobile devices will continue to increase.
"As the demand for smartphones continues to grow, our innovative technology wil enable Qualcomm's device manufacturing partners to deliver products with greater value than ever before," Qualcomm CDMA Technologies VP Alex Katouzian said in a statement.
Expect additional smartbook devices to be launched during CES in January, and throughout the rest of 2010. The industry is still in its infancy, but a typical smartbook includes Wi-Fi, navigation technology, touchscreen support, energy efficient technology, and similar technologies available in newer smartphones.
