Broadcom launches smartphone on a chip

MOBILE SEMICONDUCTOR FIRM Broadcom today announced a single-chip HSUPA baseband processor.

The firm said that its 'smartphone on a chip' integrates key 3G mobile technologies and will improve smartphone performance and features. It added that the processor is the first to combine high-speed upstream package applications with 3G connectivity and built-in graphics processing.

Built with an integrated ARM11 processor and capable of running Google's Android and Microsoft Windows Mobile, the BCM21553 baseband chip could pave the way for cheaper but much more sophisticated handsets. For example, it will let vendors add video support up to HVGA quality and an 8 megapixel camera. Other features include 5.8Mbps upstream and 7.2Mbps downstream bandwidth.

Jim Tran, vice president and general manager of Broadcom's mobile communications division, added, "We are established as a reliable supplier of baseband and other mobile technologies for popular new smartphone and advanced smart feature phone devices. With the introduction of our new BCM21553 HSUPA baseband processor and BCM2091 RF transceiver solutions, we are now enabling a new generation of increasingly affordable handsets that will offer the fastest cellular connectivity available, as well as the most popular smartphone features including wireless connectivity and diverse mobile applications."

The company launched the BCM21553 smartphone processor alongside the BCM2091 radio frequency transceiver and both are available now. µ