Hasta La Gadget!

Remember this chart? It’s interesting for a number of reasons, but I want to highlight that all present day Android phones use virtually the same Qualcomm application processor, all based on a sluggish 528MHz ARM11 core. Blech.

I’ve got nothing against Qualcomm, but a big reason most Android phones feel slow is because they’re running on slow hardware. The ARM11 core was first announced in 2003. It’s old and creaky, and it’s used so frequently because it’s cheap. But the basic rules of chip design mean that things are about to change fast.

Continue reading Core Values: The silicon behind Android

Core Values: The silicon behind Android originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp’s PC-Z1 NetWalker conjured up all sorts of love and hate-filled emotions when we toyed with it earlier this month, but for fans of unorthodox handhelds, minor details like a wonky optical pad and frail keys aren’t apt to put a damper on the excitement found in this moment. The cool kids over at Pocketables were able to procure a unit over the weekend from Japan (right on cue, might we add), and predictably, they’ve broken out the camera in order to let you relive the unboxing experience and see it side-by-side with a UMID mbook M1. The read link folks, that’s where it’s at.

Filed under: Handhelds

Sharp’s PC-Z1 NetWalker takes the inevitable unboxing journey originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARM‘s doing some chest thumping today by revealing a 2GHz clock speed on its dual-core Cortex-A9 processor. The move is meant to remind manufacturers that ARM can scale beyond its traditional smartphone strong-hold and into netbook territories currently dominated by Intel. ARM’s even handing out benchmarks showing the Cortex A9 out performing Intel’s single-core 1.6GHz Atom N270 — a processor launched back in 2008. Of course, Intel already ships a dual-core Atom 330 processor with its low-power Pineview processor set to launch on the near-horizon. It’s also worth remembering that Windows 7 won’t run on ARM so future Cortex A9 smartbooks will have to settle for Windows CE, Android, or perhaps, Google’s Chrome OS if you ask politely. ARM is licensing its Cortex A9 speed- and power-optimized technology today with delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009.

[Via PC World, thanks Ian]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Laptops

ARM’s Cortex-A9 beats Atom N270: too bad it’s not 2008 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen plenty of odd Android permutations, but UMEC seems to be striving to do something all its own. It’s showing two devices it currently has in the works, one is a videophone / hub / DECT phone / etc. unit (pictured), which might be at home on a countertop, while the other is a brightly hued MID, with similar internal specs but more portable aims. Both are running ARM Cortex A8 processors (like the iPhone 3GS), though there’s some significant OS optimization to be done: everything was incredibly sluggish on the videophone, and the MID was locked up at the time we dropped by. UMEC also doesn’t have the touchscreen drivers working for either device, though the good news is that they’re looking at both capacitive and resistive touchscreens, based on what the reseller that picks these up desires. Luckily, the videophone has USB plugs galore (along with plenty of Ethernet jacks) so we were able to get a quick demo of the device using a mouse and keyboard. The MID also has a full-size USB plug, and both devices sport HDMI out, so the end usage for both of these is really up in the air. Check ’em out on video after the break.

Continue reading UMEC’s Android videophone and MID prototypes stray from the beaten path

Filed under: Handhelds, Household, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Tablet PCs, Networking

UMEC’s Android videophone and MID prototypes stray from the beaten path originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those semiconductor semi-gossipers at DigiTimes want you to know that Nokia’s not stopping with the Booklet 3G and in fact has an ARM-based smartbook set for mass consumption in the middle of 2010. According to its sources, Espoo’s in the process of settling with ODMs now, and the speculation is that it’ll go to either Compal or Foxconn (a.k.a. Hon Hai Precision Industry). If all of this sounds familiar, that’s because it is: we’ve heard multiple reports this year that suggested a smartbook / MID with either a multicore ARM Cortex A9 Sparrow chip or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor. We’re not discounting it, especially considering that netbook bit panned out, but mid-2010 is quite a ways off — no telling when we’ll be hearing anything else on the matter.

Filed under: Laptops

Nokia following Booklet 3G with ARM-based smartbook in mid-2010? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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