Hasta La Gadget!

Whenever we see a smartphone optimized for China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA 3G, it usually represents one of two things: it’s either a China-specific variant of a phone we already know, or it’s a local-only model that’s unlikely to ever travel abroad. Marvell has just unveiled a new mobile processor platform that could allow for a lot more globetrotting with those basic designs. The PXA988 is limited to China Mobile’s technology for data, but its PXA986 doppelganger can fit the same slot to offer regular HSPA+ 3G without forcing phone makers back to the drawing board. Both run on a dual-core, 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 at their heart — nothing exciting in mid-2012, although they’re well-enough equipped to capture 1080p video and tout extras like NFC. Only test samples exist today, but there’s a chance we’ll soon see phone designs that are just as much at home in Berlin as they are in Beijing.

Continue reading Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone)

Filed under: Cellphones

Marvell PXA988, PXA986 chips support 3G for China, the world without reinventing the wheel (or phone) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

You’ve heard that the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro Mobile Development Platform tablet is the most powerful Android slate ever made, that is looks pretty neat, and that it’s up for sale now – but let me tell you this: you don’t want it. If you take a peek at this tablet and notice the variety of hardware features that are visible from the front of the device (not to mention the bacK), you should instantly be suspicious: a consumer-aimed tablet doesn’t look like that in our modern mobile world. Instead this device was created for a very specific set of users, users who have $1,299 in their budget to grab devices that’ll help them forward their career or business.

This device is made for developers and for vendors – developers looking to make their apps work optimally with the architecture Qualcomm’s designed for processing and graphics, first of all. As for vendors, this means the people looking to implement the processor inside the device, the Snapdragon APQ8064 S4 Pro SoC, into devices galore. The name MDP has appeared on several devices made by Qualcomm before, the other most recent of these being the MDP8660 we saw at Mobile World Congress 2012. The MDP8660 was a phone-sized device and used the Snapdragon S4 processor that appeared before the S4 Pro we’re seeing this week.

The tablet we’ve seen this week works with a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor. This processor’s generation is also known as Krait and works at 1.5Ghz per core. This tablet has 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 graphics processor as well. On the back you’ve got a 13 megapixel camera with 1080p video capability, while the front-facing camera is only meant for relatively low-res video chat.

You can purchase the tablet right now from online retailer(s) for just under $1300 and have a closer look in our Qualcomm portal as well. Have a peek in the timeline below at a collection of on-site news bits and hands-on experiences we had at this past week’s Qualcomm event as well!

Qualcomm S4 MDP tablet is not for you is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

ARM and TSMC have inked a deal for the next-generation of 64-bit processors, paving the way for phones, tablets, notebooks and even servers which outclass x86 chips on performance and efficiency. The deal, which builds on an existing multi-year agreement between ARM and TSMC on 20nm production, will see ARM optimize its ARMv8 architecture and Artisan IP with TSMC’s FinFET process technology, slashing the time it takes to bring new, advanced chips to market.

64-bit is the next step in ARM’s continued encroachment into markets that would traditionally have looked to Intel and AMD x86 processors. Although ARM-based chipsets are currently dominant in phones and tablets, where their power frugality makes them ideal to balance limited battery life with the expectations of all-day runtime from users, 64-bit readiness will enable the company to broach the enterprise and server segments.

“The 64-bit architecture has been designed specifically to enable energy-efficient implementations” ARM said in a statement on the deal. “Similarly, the 64-bit memory addressing and high-end performance are necessary to enable enterprise computing and network infrastructure that are fundamental for the mobile and cloud-computing markets.”

Meanwhile, TSMC’s “ability to quickly ramp volume production of highly integrated SoCs in advanced silicon process technology” and FinFET process will mean chips on sale sooner and that use less power.

Dell and HP have both revealed plans for ARM-based servers, and the chipsets will get an extra boost when Windows RT – previously known as Windows-on-ARM – arrives in October. Samsung and others are expected to release Windows RT tablets using ARM-based processors, while one of Microsoft’s own Surface tablets will run on ARM technology.

ARM and TSMC ink 64-bit deal to oust Intel from businesses is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chipset is certainly hot (well, not too hot), but it looks like demand is expected to grow even further, causing the San Diego-based SoC maker to turn to allies in the east to help beef up supply. According to China Economic News Service, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) and Korea-based Samsung will join Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to manufacturer the 28nm chips beginning later this year, in an attempt to increase S4 availability ahead of the Windows RT launch. The article cites Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs as saying that a shortage is expected to continue, due to the complicated techniques necessary to manufacturer 28nm chips, and that the company may consider adding its own manufacturing plant in the future. All in all, it doesn’t seem like a terrible position for QCOM to be in. Full details are at the Taiwanese source link below.

Qualcomm enlists Samsung, UMC to help meet 28nm Snapdragon S4 demand originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  China Economic News Service  | Email this | Comments