MWC 2010: Globalfoundries and ARM unveil new SoC

Mobile chip set performance

Mobile chip performance is set to get a boost in 2010, with two leading manufacturers claiming their new offering ups the ante by 40 per cent.

Globalfoundries and ARM have today unveiled the System-on-Chip (SoC) technology designed for wireless products such as smartphones and tablets.

The companies claim that as well as increasing computing performance by the above mentioned 40 per cent, the chips also have the ability to lower power consumption by 30 per cent and increase standard battery life by a full 100 per cent.

"The success of the next generation of mobile products will be increasingly dependent on their ability to deliver PC-class performance, a highly integrated rich media experience and longer battery life," said Chia Song Hwee, chief operating officer (COO) at Globalfoundries.

"These demands are going to require a strong technology foundation and close collaboration between industry leaders to enable an increasing number of design companies to unlock this innovation."

The SoC platform is based on the ARM Cortex A9 processor, ARM physical IP and the 28nm Gate-First High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process from Globalfoundries.

Although launched at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, the chips are not set to enter manufacturing until later this year.

Jennifer Scott

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.