No joke: Qualcomm's Snapdragon prototypes don't use Snapdragon

We seriously have no idea what Qualcomm was thinking here, but it turns out that those two so-called "Snapdragon prototypes" being shown at CES this year... wait for it... don't use the Snapdragon platform. Now, that would've been just fine with us had Qualcomm made it clear that they were built using its existing chipsets, but they didn't. Here's the best part: Qualcomm actually contacted us with a minor correction on our original story (they wanted us to point out that their ARM-based cores are highly customized) without bothering to mention that our "Snapdragon-powered" statement was not accurate. Anyway, it turns out that the Anchorage and Fairbanks prototypes are merely meant to demonstrate "examples of what Snapdragon-enabled devices will feature," which begs the question: if the current MSM series chipsets are capable of the same functionality, aren't those probably the wrong features to be demonstrating? That behavior walks a fine line between poorly executed PR and outright deception, Qualcomm, and we'd ask that you not let it happen again.

[Thanks, Sascha]

[Ben Grimsbo @ Jan 10th 2008 11:51PM]

Looks like an iphone patent filing, with a keyboard underneath.

[Reader @ Jan 10th 2008 11:53PM]

Ouch... This article will make someone cringe as it seems they read at least their products up on engadget and care about the publicity it puts out.

[Oswin @ Jan 11th 2008 12:21AM]

Sounds like another potential lawsuit for Qualcomm.... =P

[granny down east @ Jan 11th 2008 12:38AM]

That's why I sold my Qualcomm stock. They don't know their hat from their balls.

[crotchety old man @ Jan 11th 2008 7:56AM]

Re: "beg the question." Please learn the correct usage of this phrase. It does not mean what you think it means.

[Eddie @ Jan 11th 2008 11:30AM]

Welcome to the modern era where traditional meanings aren't necessarily the only meanings.
"begs a question" easily means something as simple as
"raises the question" besides its definitions dealing with logical fallacies.

[MasterCKO @ Jan 11th 2008 3:28PM]

Wow. Just wow.