cortex A9

mobile
November 9, 2011
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NVIDIA officially unveils quad-core Tegra 3 chip [video]

By on November 9, 2011 at 10:35 PM.

NVIDIA officially unveils quad-core Tegra 3 chip [video]

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. More →

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mobile
September 30, 2011
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Samsung unveils dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Exynos processor

By on September 30, 2011 at 12:15 AM.

Samsung unveils dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 Exynos processor

Samsung announced is Exynos 4212 processor on Thursday, a new dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip. Samsung said the 4212 offers a 25% increase in processing power, 50% higher 3D performance and “double the logic density and a 30% lower power-level over the previous process generation” chip, which currently powers most of its Galaxy S II smartphones. The Eynos 4212 will be used in both tablets and smartphones; currently, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 8.9 run dual-core Tegra 2 chips from NVIDIA. The Exynos 4212 processor also supports 1080p HD video recording and playback. Samsung expects to begin sampling the Exynos 4212 during the fourth quarter of this year. The company also announced a new 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor for tablets and smartphones, as well as a 1.2-megapixel HD video module that will be included in future device for video chat. Read on for the full Exynos press release from Samsung. More →

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mobile
May 31, 2011
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Apple could launch 8-megapixel iPhone sans SIM card in August

By on May 31, 2011 at 4:39 PM.

Apple could launch 8-megapixel iPhone sans SIM card in August

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. More →

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mobile
April 8, 2011
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Samsung says Galaxy S II not delayed, will launch this month

By on April 8, 2011 at 3:30 AM.

Samsung says Galaxy S II not delayed, will launch this month

Samsung has confirmed via an official Twitter account that the Galaxy S II, its upcoming flagship Android smartphone, will launch as planned in April. There were rumors that the device would be delayed due to speculation that Samsung had plans to upgrade the 1GHz dual-core Cotex-A9 processor to 1.2GHz. Samsung officially announced the Galaxy S II on February 13th during Mobile World Congress 2011. It offers Samsung’s next generation 4.3-inch Super-AMOLED Plus display, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and Samsung’s new TouchWiz 4.0 user interface. Samsung hasn’t confirmed exactly when it will launch this month, but if you need something to tide you over, be sure to check out our hands-on. More →

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mobile
April 6, 2011
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Samsung’s Galaxy S II getting processor upgrade, report suggests

By on April 6, 2011 at 10:40 PM.

Samsung’s Galaxy S II getting processor upgrade, report suggests

A recent report indicates that the unreleased Samsung Galaxy S II is getting a processor upgrade. Blog GSMArena states that the company will upgrade the 1 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor to run at a blistering 1.2GHz. The site points to a slip on Samsung’s Estonian Facebook page — which mentioned the upgrade — and cites an “internal source” as its information sources. Samsung has yet to announce a specific release date for its next-generation flagship handset. More →

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General
March 1, 2010
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Apple iPad to include a scaled down single core ARM Cortex A8 SoC?

By on March 1, 2010 at 5:17 PM.

Apple iPad to include a scaled down single core ARM Cortex A8 SoC?

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Ars Technica has broken the silence on the Apple iPad processor and published new information on the mysterious A4 chipset that powers Apple’s upcoming tablet device. Erroneously thought to be powered by a dual-core Cortex A9 processor, Ars has inside information that suggests the A4 is a single core Cortex A8 based system on a chip, instead. The A4 is also reportedly a scaled down SoC that strips out excess controllers and connectivity options that are often included on other off the shelf SoCs which are designed to be compatible with a wide variety of mobile devices. Apple potentially only had the iPad in mind when developing this chip and incorporated the bare minimum components necessary to power and control the device including a PowerVR SGX GPU, Cortex A8 CPU, NAND and DDR memory interface block, system and security hardware, and a limited number of I/O controllers. A scaled down single-core Cortex A8 SoC does not necessarily mean it’s wimpy, but it may be enough of a letdown to persuade some potential early adopters into waiting for the 2nd generation iPad before coughing up their hard earned cash. Then again, with a $499 price point for the entry model, we’re not sure. More →

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