Hasta La Gadget!

Intel continues to dominate the desktop processor market, and it looks like its reign may continue for a while if the latest report from Digitimes is to be believed. The publication reports that AMD will be delaying the launch of its new Trinitydesktop processors from August to October in order to make changes to the platform. Motherboard manufacturers will also be affected by the sudden change, with companies scrambling to accommodate the new designs in time for a launch in the second half of the year.

One of the other reasons for the delay may be high-inventory levels of Llano that AMD still needs to clear out, although AMD reportedly didn’t comment on that particular theory. AMD is said to have adjusted its processor roadmap as a result, with AM3-based processors being phased out in the second quarter of 2013. AM3 and AM3+ processors will continue to make up the majority of AMD’s lineup for the rest of the year as a result.

Finally, AMD is planning to launch three new AM3+ processors this year, which include the FX-8350, the FX-6300, and FX-4320. TDPs are expected to remain close to 125W, but performance is said to have improved by 10 to 15%. Currently the processors are on track for a release sometime in the third quarter.

AMD Trinity desktop launch reportedly delayed until October is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

At some point in the year 2012, Apple is getting set to release a brand new iPhone, or that’s what the rumor mill would have you believe, this time packed with a massive quad-core A6 chip. This time of year is always going to see its fair share of iPhone rumors, or it certainly will if DigiTimes, the source for this current tip, has anything to say about it. With leaks of information that are sometimes right on the money as far as Apple factory parts news goes, it’s always interesting to hear what this often China-based news source has to say.

What this particular update includes is a new bit of processor architecture which would represent a next generation of chips for the Apple smartphone (and perhaps iPad) device line. The iPhone 4S was the last smartphone to get a big chip upgrade with the Apple A5, that being a dual-core 800Mhz processor with immense power for games, graphics, and photo and video processing. The iPad 3rd generation release had a slightly upgraded chip as well, the dual-core A5X with improvements for the Retina quality display the newest iPad came with standard.

It’s not out of the question that Apple would amp up the power of their architecture under the hood to four cores, but there is a question of necessity. While the quad-core craze was started by NVIDIA with their Tegra 3 processor for mobile devices, the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core chip has been more than just a sideline competitor for the game-ready Tegra gear.

As far as brand power goes, Apple has been more than ready to turn a dual-core processor into a quad-core with a simple twisting of words – you’ll find the advertising for the A5X chip to be focusing on the graphics processing units instead of the CPU components, while the Tegra 3′s quad-core refers to the fact that there are four CPU cores, not GPUs.

So stay tuned, folks, as the next iPhone – perhaps the iPhone 5 – gets closer and closer to reality. Check the timeline below for further leaks, tips, and rumors galore!

[iPhone 5 concept render by Fusechicken]

iPhone 5 set for quad-core A6 chip is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon S4 processors, built on a 28nm process, have proven so popular that TSMC has said that it’s struggling to manufacture the chips. Qualcomm has recognized that it needs to keep up with demand, and has signed an agreement with an unlikely partner: Samsung. The terms of the deal with Samsung haven’t been disclosed, but an additional partner, United Microelectronics, will begin making 28nm chips by the fourth quarter of this year.

Samsung currently produces its own Exynos chip for its Galaxy devices, and supplies Apple, among others, with ARM Cortex chips for various mobile devices. The company can’t use its own Exynos chips in US devices, however, due to LTE modem incompatibilities, causing phones like the Galaxy S III to be equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 instead which features an integrated LTE modem. It’s a pretty strange situation all around, but business is business at the end of the day.

UMC, meanwhile, will reportedly supply between 3,000 and 5,000 wafers for 28nm CPU creation per month. That’s around 20 to 33% of what TSMC currently produces for Qualcomm. The new chips have already passed verification, so you can expect to see them making their way into devices in the not too distant future. Another interesting tidbit: UMC has licensed a 20nm process, something which ARM and TSMC also set their gaze on back in October. That would lead to further performance improvements and better power management.

[via IntoMobile]

Samsung signs deal to produce Qualcomm’s 28nm chips is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It isn’t hard to get an Android 4.0 phone under $200 if you’re willing to sign your life away with a contract. Getting one that’s worthwhile at that same figure contract-free, however, requires some jumping through hoops. MediaTek must be an acrobat, as it just released the MT6577, a chip design for the most entry level of smartphones. The part’s frugal focus doesn’t keep it from stuffing in a dual-core, 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, a PowerVR SGX series 5 for graphics and an HSPA modem for 3G. Those specifications would only have been cutting-edge in 2011, but they’re very speedy for a starter device in 2012 — fast enough to drive Google’s OS on a 720p screen while supporting 1080p video. The MT6577 is a drop-in replacement for its MT6575 ancestor, and it’s accordingly going to be used very quickly by “leading global customers” this summer. Knowing MediaTek’s most recent clients, that could soon lead to a sea of very affordable phones from Gigabyte, ZTE and others that have no problems eating an Ice Cream Sandwich.

Continue reading MediaTek MT6577 helps push dual-core Android 4.0 smartphones under $200 contract-free

MediaTek MT6577 helps push dual-core Android 4.0 smartphones under $200 contract-free originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD may be struggling to keep up with Intel in terms of raw performance, but the company continues to push ahead with its APU solutions. The latest come in the form of the Embedded G-Series, designed for low-power and small form factors. AMD say that the TDP of the new chips is 4.5W, but average draw is just 2.3W. That makes it ideal for use in embedded point-of-sale, transportation, and medical markets.

The company hopes that the x86 compatibility paired with support for various display technologies will make the APU an ideal choice for businesses and industries. The G-Series has support for VGA, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort, so there’s an easy migration path for engineers. On top of that, there are numerous motherboard designs already available for the platform, ranging in size all the way up to MiniITX.

Crucially, AMD is hoping that price will be the real deciding factor: “With the AMD G-T16R APU, we were striving for that critical balance of performance, power efficiency and cost for power, and cost-sensitive embedded applications, and we’ve achieved it.” Anyone currently using the Geode platform should see a nice bump in power management and performance, with the G-Series consuming 7% less power while featuring three times the performance.

AMD say that the G-Series will support the Windows Embedded Compact 7, Green Hills INTEGRITY and Express Logic ThreadX operating systems. The platform will also be available through to 2017, giving customers some peace of mind.

AMD Embedded G-Series APU targets low-power x86 markets is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.