Intel could be preparing to unveil most of its next-generation 22nm Ivy Bridge processors ”on or around” April 8th according to a recent rumor. The company is set to introduce 25 different models in total, DigiTimes reported, including 17 chips designed for use in desktop PCs and eight for notebooks and ultrabooks. Intel will announce the following desktop processors in April according to the report: the Core i7-3770K, 3770, 3770S, 3770T as well as the Core i5-3570, 3550 and 3450. The desktop processors will reportedly range in price from $184 to $332. The following notebook CPUs will also be announced: Core i7-3920Qm ($1,096), 3820QM ($568) and the 3720QM ($378). Intel is allegedly working on the Core i5-3520M, 3360M, 3320M for notebooks and the Core i7-3667U and Core i5-3427U for ultrabooks, but those processors may not be announced at the same time; the company is expected to unveil several other models for both notebooks and desktops in May. Intel has said its Ivy Bridge chips will offer a 37% performance increase over its 32nm chips.

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Samsung on Wednesday announced the Exynos 5250, the company’s latest system-on-a-chip (SoC), which packs two ARM Cortex-A15 processors clocked at 2GHz. Samsung said the dual-core chip, which will be used primarily in high-end tablets, offers about twice the CPU performance of its existing products that are equipped with a pair of ARM’s 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 processors. The Exynos 5250 supports 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution displays and also offers more than four times the graphics performance of existing ARM Cortex-A9 chips. Samsung expects to mass produce the Exynos 5250 during the second quarter of 2012. The full press release, translated from Korean to English, follows after the break.

Samsung Electronics, the industry’s first Cortex-A15-based development of the mobile AP

- The industry’s first Cortex-A15 core applied 2.0GHz ‘Exynos 5250′
- The industry’s first ultra-high resolution WQXGA (2560 * 1600) display support

CHANDLER, Ariz. – (BUSINESS WIRE) – November 30, 2011 – Samsung Electronics, the industry’s first next-generation Cortex-A15 equipped with 2.0GHz (gigahertz), high-performance dual-core mobile AP ‘Exynos 5250′ was developed.

‘Exynos 5250′ a 32-nm low-power HKMG (high-k metal gate, High-K Metal Gate) process was applied, one can process two instructions per second by 14 billion (14,000 DMIPS) based on the existing 1.5GHz dual Cortex-A9 Core Products (7,500 DMIPS), compared to about twice the CPU performance has been improved.

Primarily in high-end tablet PC mounted ‘Exynos 5250′ which evolved into a high-resolution ultra-high resolution according to the tablet market trends WQXGA (2560 * 1600) displays are supported.

In addition, when implementing a still image of the mobile device of the AP without additional signal transmission timing of the display screen with the images stored in the controller itself implements (Panel Self Refresh feature) at the system level power consumption is reduced.

‘Exynos 5250′ 3D graphics performance for 3D graphics processing speed significantly strengthen the existing Cortex-A9 based products has been improved compared to the more than four times. Stereoscopic 3D display in mobile environments (Stereoscopic 3D Display) and you can enjoy high-end 3D gaming is.

In particular, rapid data processing, 3D graphics, implementation, and support high resolution display of the most important memory bandwidth (Memory Bandwidth, per second, the ability to read and store data in memory) This 12.8GBytes/sec was improved by 2 times compared to existing products.

The Samsung Electronics ‘Exynos 5250′ release of the sample and mass production plans for the second quarter of next year.

Vice President of System LSI Division, Samsung Electronics yidojun the “Cortex-A15 with dramatically improved the processing power of next-generation mobile AP core,” said “Samsung Exynos 5250 users with low power and high performance of the mobile environment to provide a new level,” he said.

NVIDIA has finally announced its quad-core ARM Cortex A9 Tegra 3 processor, previously codenamed “Kal-El,” that will deliver “PC-class performance” for tablets and smartphones. NVIDIA said the new chip will offer 3 times the graphics performance of its dual-core Tegra 2 chip and it will consume up to 61% less power. If a user is listening to music or using a phone in a way that does not demand a lot of power, the new chip will automatically throttle down to use a companion core. Once a user fires up a game, browses the Web, or performs a task that needs the extra power, the Tegra 3 processor disables the companion core and activates all four processing cores. In addition to the four cores and the companion core, Tegra 3 also has a 12-core GeForce graphics processing unit with support for stereoscopic 3D, new video engines for playing 1080p HD video and more. NVIDIA said Tegra 3 is in production now and one of the first products to ship with it will be the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Read on for the full press release and a video that shows off the chip’s gaming capabilities.

NVIDIA Quad-Core Tegra 3 Chip Sets New Standards of Mobile Computing Performance, Energy Efficiency

 Tegra 3’s fifth ‘companion’ core enables ultra-low power consumption, while advanced quad-core processors drive record-breaking performance

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Nov. 8, 2011— NVIDIA today ushered in the era of quad-core mobile computing with the introduction of the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 processor, bringing PC-class performance levels, better battery life and improved mobile experiences to tablets and phones.  The world’s first quad-core tablet with the Tegra 3 processor is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime.

Known previously by the codename “Project Kal-El,” the Tegra 3 processor provides up to 3x the graphics performance of Tegra 2, and up to 61 percent lower power consumption. This translates into an industry-leading 12 hours of battery life for HD video playback.

The Tegra 3 processor implements a new, patent-pending technology known as Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). vSMP includes a fifth CPU “companion”, specifically designed for work requiring little power. The four main cores are specifically designed for work requiring high performance, and generally consume less power than dual-core processors.

During tasks that require less power consumption – like listening to music, playing back video or updating background data – the Tegra 3 processor completely shuts down its four performance-tuned cores and, instead, uses its companion core. For high-performance tasks – like web browsing, multitasking and gaming – the Tegra 3 processor disables the companion.

“NVIDIA’s fifth core is ingenious,” said Nathan Brookwood, Research Fellow at Insight 64. “Tegra 3’s vSMP technology extends the battery life of next-generation mobile devices by using less power when they’re handling undemanding tasks and then ratcheting up performance when it’s really needed.”

The Tegra 3 quad-core CPUs are complemented with a new 12-core NVIDIA GeForce® GPU, which delivers more realism with dynamic lighting, physical effects and high resolution environments, plus support for 3D stereo, giving developers the means to bring the next generation of mobile games to life.

For the millions who play games on mobile devices, the Tegra 3 processor provides an experience comparable to that of a game console. It offers full game-controller support, enabling consumers to play games on their tablet or super phone, or connect to big screen HDTVs for a truly immersive experience. It also leverages NVIDIA’s award-winning 3D Vision technology and automatically converts OpenGL applications to stereo 3D, so consumers can experience 3D on a big screen 3D TV (via HDMI™ 1.4 technology).

The Tegra 3 processor provides the industry’s….

·         Fastest web experience – with accelerated Adobe Flash  Player 11, HTML5 and WebGL browsing, and an optimized Javascript engine

·         Fastest applications – with blazing performance for multimedia apps, such as photo and video editing

·         Fastest multitasking – for switching between common uses, such as playing music and games, and background tasks

·         Fastest, highest-quality gaming – including new Tegra 3 processor-optimized NVIDIA Tegra Zone™ app  games such as Shadowgun, Riptide GP, Sprinkle, Big Top THD, Bladeslinger, DaVinci THD and Chidori.

Highlights / Key Facts:

·         The Tegra 3 processor redefines power consumption and mobile-computing performance with:

o    The world’s first quad-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU

o    New patent-pending vSMP technology, including a fifth CPU core that runs at a lower frequency and operates at exceptionally low power

o    12-core GeForce GPU, with 3x the graphics performance of the Tegra 2 processor, including support for stereoscopic 3D

o    New video engines with support for 1080p high profile video at 40 Mbps

o    Up to 3x higher memory bandwidth

o    Up to 2x faster Image Signal Processor

·         40 games are expected to be available by the end of 2011, and over 15 Tegra 3 games are under development for Tegra Zone, NVIDIA’s free Android Market app that showcases the best games optimized for the Tegra processor.

·         The Tegra 3 processor is in production. Developers can order the Tegra 3 Developer Kit to create applications for devices with Tegra such as tablets and super phones, at developer.nvidia.com/tegra.

ARM announced the Cortex-A7 MPCore processor on Wednesday, which it is touting as its most power efficient mobile processor yet. The Cortex-A7 is just one-fifth the size of the Cortex-A8 but provides 5x the energy efficiency and greater performance. The single-core chip was designed for use in budget-friendly smartphones that will be priced under $100. ARM explained that it can create a system on a chip (SoC) with better performance and longer battery life by taking advantage of “Big.LITTLE” processing, which combines a Cortex-A15 MPCore with a Cortex-A7 processor. The first smartphones to use the new chip are expected to hit the market in 2013. Read on for the full press release from ARM.

ARM Unveils its Most Energy Efficient Application Processor Ever; Redefines Traditional Power And Performance Relationship With big.LITTLE Processing

19 October 2011

Addresses one of today’s industry challenges: extending consumers’ always on, always connected mobile experience with both improved performance AND longer battery life

Cambridge, UK – 19th October 2011 – ARM today announced the ARM® Cortex™-A7 MPCore™ processor – the most energy-efficient application class processor ARM has ever developed, and big.LITTLE processing – a flexible approach that redefines the traditional power and performance relationship. The Cortex-A7 processor builds on the low-power leadership established by the Cortex-A8 processor that is at the heart of many of today’s most popular smartphones. A single Cortex-A7 processor delivers 5x the energy-efficiency and is one fifth the size of the Cortex-A8 processor, while providing significantly greater performance. The Cortex-A7 processor will enable a rich user experience in sub-$100 entry level smartphones and help connect the next billion people in developing markets.

One of today’s technology most significant challenges is how to create a System on Chip (SoC) that meets the conflicting consumer demand for devices with both higher-performance AND extended battery life. Big.LITTLE processing, enabled by Cortex-A7, achieves this by pairing the best of the high-performance Cortex-A15 MPCore and ultra-efficient Cortex-A7 processors. Big.LITTLE processing allows devices to seamlessly select the right processor for the right task, based on performance requirements. Importantly, this dynamic selection is transparent to the application software or middleware running on the processors.

ARM Partners supporting these technologies include Broadcom, Compal, Freescale, HiSilicon, LG Electronics, Linaro, OK Labs, QNX, Redbend, Samsung, Sprint, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments. Quotes and video comments can be found below and at http://www.youtube.com/ARMflix

Mobile usage has changed significantly and today consumers are increasingly using their smartphone for the majority of their connected lives. This includes high-performance tasks, such as web browsing, navigation and gaming, and less demanding ‘always on, always connected’ background tasks, such as voice calls, social networking and email services. As a result, the mobile phone has become an indispensible compute device for many consumers. At the same time, new mobile form factors, such as tablets, are redefining computing platforms in response to consumer demand. This is creating new ways for consumers to interact with content and brings what was once only possible on a tethered device to the mobile world.

By developing big.LITTLE processing and the Cortex-A7 processor, ARM has addressed the challenge for technology that can deliver both high-performance, required for content creation and consumption, while also delivering extreme power efficiency for extended battery life. This is particularly pertinent as smartphones and tablets continue to evolve into the primary platforms that consumers use to interact with our increasingly connected world.

Cortex-A7 – extending ARM low-power leadership
The efficiency of the ARM architecture is the reason why ARM processors use less power and occupy a smaller footprint. The Cortex-A7 processor occupies less than 0.5mm2, using 28nm process technology, and provides compelling performance in both single and multicore configurations. Used as a stand-alone processor, the Cortex-A7 will deliver sub-$100 entry level smartphones in the 2013-2014 timeframe with an equivalent level of processing performance to today’s $500 high-end smartphones.

The ARM vision of the entry level smartphone market is to redefine usage in the developing world by helping connect the next billion people to Internet content and services over mobile devices.

Big.LITTLE processing – the right processor for the right job
Big.LITTLE processing combines two different, but compatible processors within the same SoC and allows the power management software to seamlessly select the right processor, or multiple processors, for the right task. The processors appear identical from an applications software perspective.

The ‘LITTLE’, lowest-power processor – in this case, the Cortex-A7 – runs the Operating System (OS) and applications for basic always-on, always connected tasks, such as social media and audio playback. The OS and apps can then be seamlessly migrated to the higher-performance processor as demands increase for high end tasks, such as navigation and gaming. The time for this migration is in the order of 20 microseconds.

This flexible approach of choosing the right processor for the right job enables highly optimized processing which results in significant energy savings for common workloads.

System IP and tools ensures coherency and optimization for multicore solutions
The efficient and seamless switching of workloads between the two processors is supported by advanced ARM system IP, such as AMBA® 4 ACE Coherency Extensions. This ensures full cache, I/O and processor-to-processor coherency between the Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7, and across the complete system. Software and applications can therefore continue to run unhindered, and unnoticed by the user, as the tasks are rebalanced to provide the optimum big.LITTLE user experience.

Big.LITTLE power management software is developed by ARM ecosystem partners months ahead of silicon availability using ARM DS-5 tools and Fast Model virtual prototyping technology. The virtual platform, available now to lead partners, contains the Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 processors, as well as cache coherent interconnect System IP, allowing full system software development.

There’s a photo floating around that’s been published on a Chinese Twitter-like site that appears to reveal parts from a new iPhone with Apple’s dual-core 1GHz custom A5 chip. There are a few possible explanations assuming the photo is legitimate in the first place. The front case attached to the internal components in the photo clearly shows the first and original white front panel assembly Apple was planning on using for the white iPhone — the company noticed that there were proximity sensor issues and switched to a black cut out instead of the grate-like solution seen above. This means this device pictured is likely old, though it’s possible Apple was indeed lending these out to some developers for testing on next-generation hardware as we reported months ago. The other possible option is that the device photographed will come to market as an upgraded iPhone 4 either alone or alongside a radically different iPhone 5.

[Via PhoneArena]

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Following weeks one and two of Qualcomm and BGR’s Snapdragon giveaway, six lucky BGR readers are now proud owners of six awesome Snapdragon-powered devices. Now we’re back for the third and final week of this awesome giveaway series, and we’ve got three brand new devices ready that fall into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon System 3 category, offering up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs, Adreno 220 GPUs, HSPA+ support, 1080p recording support, Dolby 5.1 surround sound support and support for stereoscopic 3D, as evidenced by one of this week’s devices in particular. That’s right ladies and gents, this week we’re giving away one HTC EVO 3D (Sprint), one HTC myTouch 4G Slide (T-Mobile) and one HP TouchPad tablet.

• Leave a comment below explaining why you want to win — be sure to use your real email address, Twitter account or Facebook account when commenting so we can contact you if you win
• Follow @BGR on Twitter and retweet this post

Readers may enter this portion of the giveaway up to twice, once by commenting beneath this post and once by following @BGR on Twitter and retweeting this post. The third leg of our three-week giveaway will run from now through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 23rd. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States only, and you must be at least 18-years-old to enter. No purchase is necessary, and all devices and shipping costs will be free to contest winners. Winners will be selected randomly, contacted directly by BGR staff, and devices will be paired with winners at random. Phone service is not included.

Good luck! And feel free to follow individual BGR staffers on Twitter, too (@boygenius, @zacharye and @robotodd).

Trial production of Apple’s next-generation A6 mobile processor has begun, Taiwan Economic News reports. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has kicked off a test run of A6 chipsets — which could be 28-nanometer SoCs that feature dual or quad-cores and ARM-based architecture according to earlier reports — and Apple devices carrying the new chips are expected to be released in the second quarter next year at the earliest, according to multiple anonymous industry sources. Reports dating back to June suggested that Apple dumped Samsung following multiple patent disputes, and the company would instead utilize TSMC for production of its next-generation A6 processor. This new Taiwan Economic News report contradicts earlier rumors, however, which claimed that TSMC had begun its trial run of A6 chips last month. This could be a new test run, or earlier reports could have been misguided, of course. Taiwan-based TSMC is the world’s largest contract microchip manufacturer.

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You thought we’d be done after three devices? Not a chance. Following week one of Qualcomm and BGR’s Snapdragon giveaway, we’re back with three more awesome devices to send out to three lucky BGR readers absolutely free of charge. Last week’s handsets fell into Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon System 1 category, and this week’s devices are powered by beefed up System 2 chipsets, which offer up to 1.4GHz of processing power, an Adreno 205 GPU, stereoscopic 3D support and plenty more. In store for week two winners is a brand new HTC EVO View 4G tablet (Sprint), one HTC Inspire 4G (AT&T) and one Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY (Verizon Wireless). Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment below explaining why you want to win — be sure to use your real email address, Twitter account or Facebook account when commenting so we can contact you if you win
• Follow @BGR on Twitter and retweet this post

Readers may enter this portion of the giveaway up to twice, once by commenting beneath this post and once by following @BGR on Twitter and retweeting this post. Readers who enter week two of the giveaway are still eligible to enter week three. The second leg of our three-week giveaway will run from now through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 16th, and then the last leg will begin on August 17th. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States only, and you must be at least 18-years-old to enter. No purchase is necessary, and all devices and shipping costs will be free to contest winners. Winners will be selected randomly, contacted directly by BGR staff, and devices will be paired with winners at random. Phone service is not included.

Good luck! And feel free to follow individual BGR staffers on Twitter, too (@boygenius, @zacharye and @robotodd).

UPDATE: The AT&T device available to win is the HTC Inspire 4G, not the Samsung Infuse 4G as originally stated.

In an age where mobile device components seem to grow by leaps and bounds every few months, it’s pretty remarkable that a pioneer in the space still manages to find itself among the top chipmakers in the world. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip was the first 1GHz mobile device processor to hit the market when the LG eXpo launched in December 2009, and it kicked off a gigahertz craze that has gained steam ever since. Today, Qualcomm is still a leader in the space and the company on Wednesday revealed the rebranding of its Snapdragon chipsets. Snapdragon chips now fall into one of four series: Snapdragon System 1 (65nm, up to 1.2GHz CPU, Adreno 200 GPU, up to 3G HSPA), Snapdragon System 2 (45nm, up to 1.4GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, HSPA+, 1024 x 768 display, 720p recording, Dolby 5.1, stereoscopic 3D), Snapdragon System 3 (45nm, up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, Adreno 220 GPU, HSPA+, 1440 x 900 display, 1080p recording, Dolby 5.1, stereoscopic 3D) and Snapdragon System 4 (28nm, up to 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, up to quad-core Adreno GPU, HSPA+, LTE). System 4 Snapdragon chipsets won’t hit the market until next year, but Systems 1 through 3 can currently be found in 125 commercially available devices. So what might be an appropriate way for Qualcomm to celebrate the new rebranding? Team up with BGR to give away nine different smartphones and tablets, of course! Read on for all the details.

Qualcomm and BGR are very excited to usher in the new Snapdragon branding by giving away not one but nine different Snapdragon-powered devices over the next three weeks. We will be giving out three devices each week starting immediately, and each week’s devices will include Snapdragon chipsets from one of the three Snapdragon systems currently available. This week will include three System 1 devices, next week will include three System 2 devices and the following week will include… you guessed it… three System 3 devices. Kicking things off this week, we’re giving away one HTC Trophy (Verizon Wireless), one HP Veer 4G (AT&T) and one HTC Arrive (Sprint) to three lucky BGR readers. Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment below explaining why you want to win — be sure to use your real email address, Twitter account or Facebook account when commenting so we can contact you if you win
• Follow @BGR on Twitter and retweet this post

Readers may enter this portion of the giveaway up to twice, once by commenting beneath this post and once by following @BGR on Twitter and retweeting this post. Readers who enter week one of the giveaway are still eligible to enter weeks two and three. The first leg of our three-week giveaway will run from now through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 9th, and then the next leg will begin on August 10th. The giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States only, and you must be at least 18-years-old to enter. No purchase is necessary, and all devices and shipping costs will be free to contest winners. Winners will be selected randomly, contacted directly by BGR staff, and devices will be paired with winners at random. Phone service is not included.

Good luck! And feel free to follow individual BGR staffers on Twitter, too (@boygenius, @zacharye and @robotodd).

Apple will begin to merge its OS X and iOS operating systems in 2012 according to predictions made by Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek.”We believe Apple is looking to merge iOS (iPhones/iPads) with OS X (Macs) into a single platform for apps and cloud services starting in 2012-13,” Misek said. He believes that the A6 processor is “capable of PC-like strength,” and that Apple will implement it into its iPad 3 during the first quarter of 2012, into the iPhone 5 next summer, and into the MacBook Air in 2012 or 2013. “Users want to be able to pick up any iPhone, iPad, or Mac (or turn on their iTV) and have content move seamlessly between them and be optimized for the user and the device currently being used,” Misek said. “We believe this will be difficult to implement if iOS and OS X are kept separate.” There have been rumors that Apple has considered building its own TV, which Misek refers to as the “iTV,” although that has been pure speculation.

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Qualcomm announced that it has purchased gesture recognition technology from GestureTek on Monday. “Applications processors are enabling a range of new ways for consumers to interface with their home entertainment and mobile devices,” said Qualcomm executive vice president and group president Steve Mollenkopf. “Our acquisition of key technology and assets from GestureTek will strengthen Qualcomm’s smartphone product portfolio and enable our customers to launch products with new and compelling user experiences.” The company said that it plans to build GestureTek’s gesture recognition technology into its current and future Snapdragon processors. The tech will allow manufacturers to create mobile devices with interactive user interfaces based on “natural human gestures.” The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read on for the full press release.

Qualcomm Acquires Gesture Recognition Assets from GestureTek

SAN DIEGO – July 25, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that it has acquired certain assets from GestureTek, a developer of gesture recognition technology. A leader in the gesture recognition field, GestureTek has more than 25 years of experience implementing gesture-based technologies in mobile devices, entertainment facilities, healthcare systems, retail locations, and public and private venues. The acquisition gives Qualcomm ownership of certain intellectual property assets related to gesture recognition, as well as key engineering resources. GestureTek is retaining other assets in continuation of its gesture-controlled public display and digital signage business.

“Applications processors are enabling a range of new ways for consumers to interface with their home entertainment and mobile devices,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president, Qualcomm. “Our acquisition of key technology and assets from GestureTek will strengthen Qualcomm’s smartphone product portfolio and enable our customers to launch products with new and compelling user experiences.”

Gesture recognition technology will be integrated into Qualcomm’s current and next-generation Snapdragon™ processors, giving OEMs the capability to produce smartphones, tablets and home entertainment devices with user interfaces based on natural human gestures.

Apple may have just hit Samsung where it hurts as the two companies continue their ongoing legal battles over patents. Apple, said to be the largest buyer of Samsung components, will not use Samsung to build its next-generation A6 processor, Reuters reports. Instead, Taiwan-based TSMC has reportedly been contracted to build the chip, which is expected to power Apple’s future iPhone and iPad devices. TSMC, the world’s largest contract microchip manufacturer, is said to have already begun test production of Apple’s A6 processor. Samsung currently builds the A5 processor used in Apple’s popular iPad 2 tablet and it owns numerous patents surrounding the chip’s design, including a patent that covers the processor’s the system design and memory packaging. The A5 chip is also expected to be included in Apple’s iPhone 5, which is expected to launch later this year. Should TSMC in fact be manufacturing Apple’s next-generation mobile CPU, it will likely feature a significant redesign in order to avoid potential patent complaints from Samsung.

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Texas Instruments on Thursday unveiled its latest mobile processor, the 1.8GHz dual-core OMAP4470, from the annual Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan. The new CPU is destined for smartphones and tablets, and it features a power-sipping design that offers a variety of performance enhancements compared to older processors. According to TI, the OMAP4470 will deliver an 80% improvement in Web browsing performance, a 250% improvement in graphics performance, up to 200% more layered imaging and video composition, and support for up to three HD displays and up to QXGA 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution. “Superior mobile computing relies on a user experience that dwarfs all others. Fast and crisp Web browsing, HD and liquid UIs, support for the latest applications—these are the elements consumers judge and buy their devices on,” said TI’s VP of the OMAP platform, Remi El-Ouazzane, in a statement. ”The OMAP4470 processor delivers the maximum experience possible with an unmatched, power-efficient architecture.” OMAP4470 samples will begin shipping to partners in the second half of 2011, with devices utilizing the chip expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2012. Hit the break for the full press release.

TI’s OMAP4470 apps processor: It’s all about the user experience

Latest OMAP™ 4 platform processor sets new standard for mobile computing, bringing up to QXGA display resolution, HD UIs and
2x Web browsing performance

TAIPEI, June 2, 2011—Building on the OMAP™ 4 platform family’s technological achievements , Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) introduced today the power-efficient OMAP4470 applications processor, designed to deliver the perfect balance between processing power, graphics, display subsystem functionality and multilayered user interface (UI) composition. The multicore OMAP4470 processor surpasses current market solutions with clock speeds up to 1.8 GHz, an 80 percent increase in Web browsing performance, increased memory bandwidth, a 2.5x boost in graphics functionality—via the POWERVR™ SGX544 core from Imagination Technologies—and a unique hardware composition engine. Mobile computing and gaming applications running on operating systems such as Android, Linux and the next version of Microsoft Windows will benefit from the OMAP4470 processor’s enhanced capabilities. Customers designing ultrathin laptops, tablets or smartphones around previously released OMAP 4 processors gain the added benefit of pin-to-pin hardware and software compatibility for maximum re-use and faster time-to-market.

“Superior mobile computing relies on a user experience that dwarfs all others. Fast and crisp Web browsing, HD and liquid UIs, support for the latest applications—these are the elements consumers judge and buy their devices on. The OMAP4470 processor delivers the maximum experience possible with an unmatched, power-efficient architecture,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, vice president, OMAP platform business unit, TI.

Making HD UIs a reality

Courtesy of its advanced graphics architecture, OMAP4470 enables customers to leverage tomorrow’s leading-edge display technology by supporting resolution up to QXGA (2048×1536). The new applications processor drives still more unparalleled HD UIs with simultaneous support for up to three HD screens and up to 2x more layered imaging and video composition than competitive solutions—a capability required by the sophisticated UIs of next generation operating systems. This feature is enabled by the combination of a hardware composition engine with a dedicated 2D graphics core, a highly sophisticated display subsystem, and dual-channel LPDDR2 memory enabling up to 7.5 GB/s of throughput to composite the graphics and/or video data output. This frees the GPU to perform graphics-intensive tasks such as gaming or widget creation while the compositing process is assigned to more power-efficient hardware subsystems.

Powerful enough for desktop applications yet highly power-efficient for mobile applications, Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX544 GPU complements the OMAP 4 platform’s promise of high performance, low power. The OMAP4470 processor is the first OMAP offering to leverage the POWERVR SGX544. Combining the SGX544’s features with the sophisticated OMAP architecture enables TI customers to deliver a new set of applications to end-users, including DirectX-driven games and videos.

“Graphics processing is now at the very heart of the mobile computing experience, providing the gateway to an enriched experience of user interface, gaming, location services, web and media,” said Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies. “Combining the OMAP 4 platform’s low-power, high-performance architecture with the extensive acceleration capabilities and API support of Imagination’s POWERVR SGX544 will enable experiences that will really make people sit up and take notice.”

OMAP4470 applications processor features and benefits*

Feature	Benefit
Two ARM® Cortex™-A9 MPCores™ running up to 1.8GHz per core	80% increase in Web browsing performance
Two ARM Cortex-M3 cores	Smart multicore processing optimized for low-power and real-time responsiveness
SGX544 graphics core	2.5x overall graphics performance increase; support for DirectX, OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenVG 1.1, and OpenCL 1.1
Hardware composition engine with dedicated 2D graphics core	Frees GPU to manage intensive tasks; maximizes power-efficiency
Display subsystem	Supports as many as three HD displays and up to QXGA (2048×1536) resolution; HDMI supporting stereoscopic 3D
Dual-channel, 466 MHz LPDDR2 memory	Higher memory bandwidth enables rendering and compositing of multilayer content at high resolutions
Complete pin-to-pin hardware and software compatibility	Rapid transition and maximum re-use of investment from OMAP4430 and OMAP4460 processors

*Comparative data relative to the OMAP4430 processor

Availability

The 45nm OMAP4470 processor is expected to sample in the second half of 2011, with devices expected to hit the market in first half 2012. These products are intended for high-volume mobile OEMs and ODMs, and are not available through distributors.

During the Computex trade show in Taiwan on Tuesday, Intel’s executive vice president Sean Maloney discussed a new category of laptop computers called “Ultrabooks” that Intel says will dominate 40% of the consumer market by the end of next year. Ultrabooks will blend the performance of today’s laptops with a tablet-like experience in a thin and light product, and the first such product is ASUS’ brand new UX21 laptop, which is due out by the 2011 holiday season. Initially, Ultrabooks will be powered by Intel’s latest Core processors, but they will also be powered by the firm’s new 22nm Ivy Bridge processor by the first half of next year. By 2013, Ultrabooks will be powered by Intel’s next generation “Haswell” processors. Maloney also said that its Atom processor family will “outpace Moore’s law” and that Intel will accelerate the processor from 32nm through 22nm to 14nm in just three years. The move will allow for more powerful and more battery-efficient Atom processors for tablets, netbooks, and smartphones. The firm also said that Android and MeeGo tablets running its Medfield processor will hit the market during the first half of 2012, and that Medfield will enable sub-9mm designs and products that weigh under 1.5 pounds. Hit the jump for Intel’s full press release.

Intel’s Maloney Talks Mobile Growth, Industry Opportunities at Computex

New Roadmaps Across Intel® Core™ and Atom™ Processor Families to Usher in Next Wave of Laptops and Connected Mobile Devices

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Intel defines new category of mainstream thin and light mobile computers, called Ultrabook™.

Intel aims to shift 40 percent of consumer laptops to the Ultrabook™ by end of 2012.

Separately, Intel is accelerating the Atom™ processor roadmap to a one-process-generation per year cadence to enable a wider range of optimized solutions for multiple market segments.

Intel highlighted its next-generation, fanless netbook platform, codenamed “Cedar Trail,” a range of new Atom processor-based tablets available today, and a “Medfield” tablet reference design for sub-9mm designs, weighing less than 1.5 pounds and supporting a choice of operating systems.

COMPUTEX, Taipei, May 31, 2011 – Intel Corporation Executive Vice President Sean Maloney today said that by the end of 2012, 40 percent of the consumer laptop market segment will encompass an emerging new breed of no-compromise computers, called “Ultrabook™,” which will increasingly combine best-in-class performance, improved responsiveness and security in thin, elegant form factors.

During the opening keynote speech at Computex, one of the world’s largest technology trade shows, Maloney provided further details on the significant changes Intel is making to the Intel® CoreTM processor roadmap to enable this new category. He also reiterated Intel’s push to accelerate the pace of innovation for Intel® AtomTM processor-based system-on-chips (SoCs) for netbooks, smartphones, tablets, and other companion devices.

“Computing is taking many forms,” said Maloney. “Technology innovation is a catalyst, and we believe the changes Intel is making to its roadmaps, together with strong industry collaboration, will bring about an exciting change in personal computing over the next few years.”

The “Ultrabook™”

Intel’s vision is to enable a new user experience by accelerating a new class of mobile computers. These computers will marry the performance and capabilities of today’s laptops with tablet-like features and deliver a highly responsive and secure experience, in a thin, light and elegant design. The Ultrabook™ will be shaped by Moore’s Law and silicon technology in the same way they have shaped the traditional PC for the past 40 years.

Maloney described three key phases in the company’s strategy to accelerate this vision, which begins to unfold today with the company’s latest 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM processors. This family of products will enable thin, light and beautiful designs that are less than 20mm (0.8 inch) thick, and mainstream price points under US$1,000. Systems based on these chips will be available for the 2011 winter holiday shopping season and include the UX21, ASUS* Ultrabook™. ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih joined Maloney on stage to showcase the company’s new ultra-thin laptop based on the latest 2nd Generation Intel Core processor.

“At ASUS, we are very much aligned with Intel’s vision of Ultrabook™,” said Shih. “Our customers are demanding an uncompromised computing experience in a lightweight, highly portable design that responds to their needs quickly. Transforming the PC into an ultra thin, ultra responsive device will change the way people interact with their PC.”

Building on the latest 2nd Generation Intel Core technology, Maloney outlined the next generation Intel processor family codenamed “Ivy Bridge,” which is scheduled for availability in systems in the first half of 2012. Laptops based on “Ivy Bridge” will bring improved power efficiency, smart visual performance, increased responsiveness and enhanced security. “Ivy Bridge” is the first high-volume chip based on Intel’s 22 nanometer (nm) manufacturing technology that uses a revolutionary 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate announced in May. Maloney also highlighted complementary USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt™ technologies which are part of Intel’s ongoing work to drive the PC platform forward.

Following “Ivy Bridge,” planned 2013 products codenamed “Haswell” are the third step toward achieving the Ultrabook™ and reinventing the capabilities of the laptop in ultra thin and light, responsive and more secure designs. With “Haswell,” Intel will change the mainstream laptop thermal design point by reducing the microprocessor power to half of today’s design point.

Accelerating the Intel® Atom™ Processor Roadmap

Maloney highlighted key milestones and additional details on upcoming generations of Intel Atom processor-based platforms for tablets, netbooks and smartphones. The Atom processor will outpace Moore’s Law, accelerating from 32nm through 22nm to 14nm within 3 successive years. Having a cadence of a new-process-generation every year will result in significant reduction in transistor leakage, lower active power and an increase of transistor density to enable more powerful smartphones, tablets, and netbooks with more features and longer battery life.

Reaching its 100 million-unit milestone this month, Intel is preparing its next-generation netbook platform, codenamed “Cedar Trail.” “Cedar Trail” is the first netbook platform based on Intel’s 32nm technology, and will enable ultra-thin, fanless designs with new capabilities such as Intel® Rapid Start technology which provides fast resume, Intel® Smart Connect Technology which enables an always updated experience even during standby, Intel® Wireless Display and PC Synch, which let users wirelessly update and synchronize documents, content and media across multiple devices. In addition, the new platform is expected to enable more than 10 hours of battery life and weeks of standby. “Cedar Trail” will support leading operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows*, Google Chrome* and MeeGo*.

In addition, Maloney showcased more than 10 tablets, running on three different operating systems, that are available today based on the Intel Atom processor Z670. The platform already has more than 35 design wins since its launch in April, with several convertibles, sliders and other innovative designs on shelves now and more coming through the rest of the year.

Maloney also discussed “Medfield,” Intel’s first purpose-built 32nm platform for smartphones and tablets. “Medfield” has been optimized for both low power and high performance and will deliver long use-time, rich media and gaming, and advanced imaging capabilities. To illustrate this point in tablets, Intel showcased a “Medfield” design running Google Android* 3.0 (“Honeycomb”) for the first time. In production later this year, the platform will enable sub-9mm designs that weigh less than 1.5 pounds for tablet designs in market the first half of 2012. It will support a range of operating systems including Android and MeeGo.

According to Maloney, “The work Intel is doing with the Intel® Atom™ processor roadmap, coupled with the significant changes we are making to our Intel® Core™ processor roadmaps, will continue to enhance Intel’s ability to deliver complete hardware solutions with a choice of software platforms across a full spectrum of computing — from back-end servers that power the cloud to the billions of devices that access the cloud.”

The Cloud’s Rapid Expansion

More people and devices connecting to the Internet will lead to unprecedented growth in cloud-based services for storage, synchronization and entertainment, according to Maloney, and Intel is poised to grow with it. He said that one new Intel-based server is needed for roughly every additional 600 new smartphones or 122 new tablets connecting to the Internet. He also reiterated the company’s “Cloud 2015″ vision of a world of interoperable “federated” clouds that allow enterprises to share data securely across public and private clouds; “automated” networks that allow the movement of workloads between servers in the data center for better utilization and energy efficiency, and “device-aware” clouds that know what types of applications, commands and processing.

In closing, Maloney stressed the critical role of the Taiwan IT industry in the next transformation of computing. He called for collective innovations that will lead the industry into the next era as computing takes many new forms and becomes ever more pervasive and affordable. “The Taiwan IT industry will be instrumental in realizing this vision,” said Maloney.

More information about today’s announcements is available at www.intel.com/newsroom/computex/index.htm

According to Macotakara, Apple is scheduled to launch its new iPhone in late July or August — not September as many other reports have claimed. Apple’s new device will offer a Cortex-A9 processor as well as an 8-megapixel camera. It may also have a SIM-free design and support for both GSM and CDMA networks, allowing it to run on Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. and on global networks abroad. The rumor also suggests that Apple will maintain the iPhone 4 form factor, which doesn’t match earlier a number of earlier reports that suggest the next generation iPhone will have a 4-inch screen, but it fits perfectly in line with the unreleased iPhone we posted pictures of back in April. Similarly, the rumor says Apple may veer further from its standard course and launch a new iPhone, dubbed “iPhone 6″ in the spring of next year.

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