- Monday, 23 November 2009
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Don't put an idea into Henry VIII's head. It's hard to get it out - Thomas Cromwell
Samsung releases 1GHz chip
SAMSUNG and Intrinsity have jointly released one of the fastest processors to date aimed at devices.
The new 1GHz chip co-developed by Austin, Texas-based Intrinsity and Samsung is based on the ARM Cortex A8 design.
Code-named "Hummingbird," the chip has been built for smart phones and according to Brooke Crothers at CNET it could end up in the Iphone. No one stands up this speculation other than the chip's designer who says it could go into something Applish. It just means that CNET can get away with using the world Iphone in every paragraph.
Tom Halfhill, senior analyst at the Microprocessor Report, said that Samsung will likely use Hummingbird for future smartphones. He said that increasingly sophisticated smartphones will demand faster processors. So far ARM has concentrated more on keeping power demands low.
It is not as if Hummingbird is way ahead of the pack in speed. Qualcomm makes a 1GHz ARM chip for the Toshiba TG01 smartphone. Texas Instruments has announced that its future OMAP chips will pack multiple processing cores and hit gigahertz speeds.
So why will the new Samsung be jacked under the bonnet of a new Iphone, rather than any other chip? No reason really other than the fact it enables you to say Iphone in a headline and plug the toy on behalf of Apple.
True, Samsung does have a relationship with Apple and made chips for the Iphone and Ipod. However Apple has indicated that it wants to move to self-made processors in the future.
CNET appears to be wanting to jump on the idea that the Iphone will go to 1Ghz, based on the fact the supplier that it is thinking of dropping has made such a chip. Not sure the logic follows there. But why let facts get in the way of a good advertisment? µ
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apple... its apple.
I normaly disagree with nick in apple related "posts", but today ... i disagree again xD
but in a diferent way...
i bet that apple will keep the same CPU (SoC really) in the next iphone, changing maybe the looks or something minor (or not that minor, if they make it 4g), and, only the 5th gen iphone, will get a new SoC, that will include something like Cortex A9 or newer, not this.
Apple won't be "making" their own chips in the sense of having their own fab.
They will do design work based on the ARM, and farm out the manufacture. Samsung seems to be a good guess as to who Apple might choose because of their relationship.
But Apple's designs must be based on an ARM to begin with. Which design are they using as a base?
Might they collaborate with Samsung on certain aspects? It's certainly possible. Could some of Samsung's design find its way into an Apple chip? Could be.
In CNET's article iphone is mentioned five times, while in yours two times smaller it's found on six places. What does that prove ?
Well, the Cortex A8 in the iPhone GS is rated at 833Mhz and being run at a measly 600Mhz for power saving reasons. Maybe heat issues as well. Unless a chip chews less power than a 600Mhz A8, there is no real reason to use th 1Ghz chip, is there ?.
Also, the secret PA Semi's iteration of their Cortex variant of PPC variant might make a play in the much awaited iTablet. This would then be a "beta" market test for that CPU before the future iPhone gets it (downthrottled in speed, of course!). Does make sense from a deployment view point as tested CPUs from iMac goes into MBP in lock-step before...we shall see.