Compal Communications has for the first time adopted a reference design platform offered by Broadcom to develop entry-level Android smartphones with the first wave of such models likely to be shipped, probably to China, in the second quarter of 2013, according to industry sources.

Broadcom's reference design platform, the BCM21664T, integrates a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a HSPA+ modem, graphics applications, and a number of connectivity solutions including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC, and supports dual-SIM cards and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

In addition to Compal, two other smartphone ODMs Arima Communications and Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) are mainly using reference designs from Qualcomm and MediaTek for developments of smartphones at present, the sources noted.

Compal is currently using Qualcomm platform solutions to manufacture Window Phone-based models for Nokia as well as Android phones for Sony Mobile Communications, the sources indicated.

While shipping its wireless connectivity solutions to HTC and a number of Taiwan-based companies currently, Broadcom also aims to ship more of its smartphone solutions to Taiwan makers, according to Robert Rango, executive vice president and general manager of mobile and wireless group at Broadcom.

Broadcom has rolled out its LTE-enabled modems and its reference design solutions are also suitable for the development of midrange to high-end smartphones, Rango added.