Nokia will launch 12 Windows Phone devices in 2012 — and a few of them will offer dual-core processors. Speaking to Forbes during STMicroelectronics’ analyst day, STMicroelectronics’ CEO Carlo Bozotti confirmed that his company still has “very close relations” with Nokia and that it will be “an important supplier” in Nokia’s future Windows Phone products. A few of Nokia’s phones will be powered by ST-Ericsson’s U8500 system-on-a-chip (SoC) package, which offers support ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processors. Nokia is said to already have a Windows Phone in the works, and while the company has set a 2012 target date for its debut, Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop has expressed interest in shipping it before the end of 2011.

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Today at Mobile World Congress, mobile processor juggernaut Texas Instrument held a press event to offer some additional details about its OMAP 4 and 5 processor lines. Greg Delagi, the company’s senior vice president and general manager, gave the keynote — which took place right on the showroom floor. He emphatically talked about the need to push the capabilities of “smart devices” forward while being mindful of the constraints battery technology puts on the industry. Both RIM and LG were brought on stage — the PlayBook and Optimus 3D both use the OMAP 4 platform — and they too heralded the headway TI is making with its system on a chip (SoC) OMAP processors. The company even has technology in place that will bring cost effective, power efficient gesture recognition and Pico DLP technology to a wider array of smartphones and smart devices; it works just like the Kinect. We have some video of the motion-based gesture recognition, in action running on prototype hardware after the break, along with some of Mr. Delagi’s thoughts on why OMAP is such an effective mobile processor.

Delagi was kind enough to give us 10 minutes of his time to talk about the OMAP platform and, more specifically, how it works in the mobile device arena. Mr. Delagi explained that his company’s chip is superior not because of raw processor clock speed — a common myth — but because of exactly how the chip is designed. OMAP 4 and OMAP 5 processors have six separate engines at their disposal. There is the general purpose processor, which is used for most tasks; the graphics processor, used for image display; a programmable DSP processor, which allows manufactures to keep a phone’s core processing capabilities up to the latest codecs (say H.265 came out, this codec could be flashed to the DSP); a display processor for handling the screen’s needs; an imaging and video accelerator, for doing exactly what its name suggests; and the ABE, or audio back-end.

TI uses some extremely advanced system management to power these systems up and down as your phone demands, to try and efficiently utilize every last bit of juice from your battery. For example, the IVA uses 273 milliwatts when running at full throttle. Delagi also noted that the motion-based gesture recognition technology — which you’ll see in the video below — could be added to LG’s Optimus 3D handset with almost zero impact on battery life and/or added cost to the manufacturer. Mobile processor technology is extremely complex, so it was great to hear someone talk so passionately and eloquently about his company’s solution.

A note about this gesture recognition technology: it has a range of 0-8 meters; it can be included in TVs, mobile phones, gaming systems, etc.; it uses no special sensors, just a camera; it has facial recognition capabilities (the example given was if you were trying to change the channel of your TV using gestures but were on the couch with others); and any device with an OMAP 4 or 5 processor can harness this built-in feature.

Today, Broadcom announced that it has gained Bluetooth 4.0 certification for its BTE Bluetooth stack and system-on-a-chip solutions. The new Bluetooth 4.0 standard has lower overhead than previous iterations of the technology, using less power and having a lower cost, while providing better range. Expect to see Bluetooth 4.0 hitting mobile devices in early 2012. We’ve got the official press release ready for you after the bounce.

Broadcom Supports Bluetooth® Version 4.0 Across Its Leading Bluetooth Portfolio

Broad Availability of the New Standard will Drive the Adoption of Bluetooth Low Energy Technology for New Applications in Health Care, Fitness, Security and Home Entertainment

IRVINE, Calif., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has gained certification and added support for the recently adopted Bluetooth® Version 4.0 specification across its core BTE Bluetooth stack and industry leading Bluetooth system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions. Broadcom’s full qualification makes it one of the first to achieve Bluetooth v4.0 controller and host stack certification, solidifying its continued leadership in Bluetooth technology and dedication to the growth of this technology as it evolves beyond what are perceived to be the traditional Bluetooth use cases of today.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) recently announced the formal adoption of Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0, with the hallmark feature low energy technology. This final step in the specification development process signals to Bluetooth SIG members that the Bluetooth SIG Qualification Program is now open for qualification of all Bluetooth product types to the Version 4.0 Specification.
• Bluetooth low energy technology opens up new segments for this wireless technology including fitness, sports, medical devices, security, and home entertainment based on Bluetooth products and sensors that are powered from a single small coin-cell battery.

Key features of the Bluetooth low energy specification in the new Bluetooth v4.0 standard include:

• Ultra-low peak, average and idle mode power consumption
• Ability to run for years on standard coin-cell batteries
• Low cost
• Multi-vendor interoperability
• Enhanced range

As a leading supplier of both Bluetooth technology, and a leader in combination (‘combo’) chip products that combine multiple radios in a single chip design, Broadcom is in a unique position to drive Bluetooth v4.0 technology, further expanding the utility of Bluetooth low power devices.

With the latest qualifications, Broadcom enables full-featured Bluetooth devices which include the latest low energy technology in addition to Bluetooth High Speed, Classic Bluetooth and Enhanced Data Rate Bluetooth technology.

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Somewhere over the rainbow in a land far away, wireless phones will actually be wireless. We’re not just talking about cellular voice and data here of course, we’re talking about handsets that can communicate, move data, sync and be charged all without the need for a single external wired connection. We still have a ways to go before technologies such as inductive charging and higher-speed data transfer standards are a commonplace, but Samsung has just announced a major step towards that reality with the advent of Wireless USB. By way of new System-on-a-Chip (SoC) technology, Samsung claims W-USB will allow portable devices such as mobile handsets and digital cameras to connect wirelessly using an interface that is nearly identical to a wired USB connection. Dr. Yiwan Wong, vice president, System LSI Division at Samsung is heading up the group responsible for the breakthrough and had this to say:

Connected consumer electronic products are the next step in enabling anytime, anywhere access to information and services. One of the keys to wireless connectivity is W-USB technology. While W-USB technology is just beginning to ramp up, its application will soon increase with the consumer electronic and mobile phone markets’ demand for wireless connectivity technology and UWB’s fast download speeds.

The SoC itself is comprised of a built-in ARM core, a UWB physical layer, a memory controller and a memory component. It operates in the 3.1~10.6 GHz-band range and as far as numbers go, we’re looking at speeds of 480 Mbps. Real world tests have shown actual transfer speeds of 120 Mbps which is hardly a rate to be scoffed at and security hounds will be happy to know Samsung employs 128 bit AES encryption to thwart prowlers. Long story short, W-USB can’t happen soon enough.

[Via DailyTech]

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