Core i3, i5, i7. A straightforward, if not insipid, branding scheme, right? Wrong. Those alphanumeric identifiers are fighting words.
Last week, Intel announced a new branding scheme for its upcoming processors. In a blog, spokesman Bill Calder wrote that the branding will be "simplified into entry-level (Intel Core i3), mid-level (Intel Core i5), and high-level (Intel Core i7)." Intel calls the "i" suffix an identifier.
The upcoming Lynnfield chip for desktop PCs, for example, will be available as either Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 depending upon the feature set and capability. The upshot of the new branding is to make it easier for less tech-savvy consumers to readily identify classes of Intel chips based three simple identifiers, according to Calder.
But judging by the tenor of many of the comments attached to Calder's brand structure blog, you would think the chipmaker had committed high treason.
In the minds of some, it did. The shortcomings of the current naming scheme notwithstanding, many tech-savvy consumers have gotten used to it. For example, Core 2 Quad means a chip built on the Core 2 architecture with 4 processing cores. Core 2 Duo indicates two cores.
One of the most common criticisms cited in the comments section is that i3, i5, and i7 are too vague. "Above all, I'd like to see...at a glance how many cores and what features they have (or have not)," one comment said. Another comment suggested that Intel add more identifiers. For example, Intel Core i5 4100, where 4 is the number of cores and 100 is a speed rating.
Yet another idea was this: Intel/name/number/year, where "name" is the product name, "number" is a bigger-is-better ranking, and "year" the year the architecture was released.
And another: "Either ditch the Celeron, Pentium and Xeon names completely or embrace them completely. These are fairly well known as the 'good, better, best'."
... Read moreThe iPhone, of course, is more than the sum of its parts, but the cost of individual components adds up--to $178.96, to be exact.
A new analysis by iSuppli details the cost of the iPhone 3GS and the motley collection of chips inside.
The entry-level (16GB) version of the iPhone 3GS carries a BOM (bill of materials) cost of $172.46 and a manufacturing expense of $6.50, for a total of $178.96, said Andrew Rassweiler, director and principal analyst, teardown services, for iSuppli, in a statement.
Apple iPhone 3GS major components and cost drivers
(Credit: iSuppli)Service providers are paying more for the low-end iPhone 3G S than the original iPhone 3G, according to Rassweiler. "Although the retail price of the 16GB iPhone 3GS is $199, the same as for the 8GB version of the original iPhone 3G, the actual price of the phone paid by the service provider is considerably higher, reflecting the common wireless industry practice of subsidizing the upfront cost of a mobile phone and then making a profit on subscriptions," he said.
And what are the major cost drivers? The 16GB flash memory chip is the priciest at $24--and reflects the rising cost of flash chips due to supply constraints, according to iSuppli. This part is also available from Samsung. So there could be some second-sourcing (sourcing the part from a second chip supplier) in the future.
The next rung in the cost ladder is the 3.5-inch display module and touch-screen assembly, at $19.95 and $16, respectively.
Below this, is the main Samsung applications processor. Priced at $14.46, it is the fourth most costly component in the iPhone 3GS. ... Read more
Intel and Nokia have more than a few holes in their respective collections of mobile technologies. How far will the collaboration announced Tuesday go to plug the holes and take them to the next technology plane?
Intel senior vice president Anand Chandrasekher
(Credit: Intel)A platitude easily missed in the announcement may be the most revealing statement. Simply, that the two companies create the opportunity to take advantage of each other's expertise.
Nokia makes mobile phones. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, can't get its chips into mobile phones. On the other hand, Intel makes the silicon that powers the world's PCs. Nokia doesn't have a clue about PCs.
The announcement won't necessarily inspire confidence with its lack of product particulars, but that's not what it's about. "Today is a relationship announcement," said Jeff Orr, senior analyst for mobile devices at ABI Research.
Intel and Nokia are simply agreeing at this stage to collaborate rather than be direct competitors, according to Orr.
Nokia was clear--in a cryptic sort of way--on one point, however: "Today's collaboration is not about smartphones but creating a new class of devices," Kai Oistamo, executive vice president for devices at Nokia, said in a phone interview Tuesday.
Beyond those future devices--presumably powered by Intel silicon--what does Intel get? Initially, the most concrete thing is 3G. "This is a gap for Intel, which has focused on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and WiMax," Orr said. "As a result, when future architectures like an Atom platform are developed for MIDs (mobile Internet devices), Netbooks, smartphones, that means vendors will have more flexibility for connectivity."
In short, Intel can build 3G into its chipsets and Intel can compete more effectively in the future with products like the iPhone and Palm Pre that include 3G as standard. Intel-based notebooks and Netbooks, until recently, were rarely offered with 3G as a standard option.
"We're not talking about specific products today but certainly we would not have taken a license (from Nokia) if we didn't have the intention to build a product," Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager at the Ultra Mobility Group, said in a phone interview Tuesday, referring to Intel's licensing of Nokia's HSPA/3G modem technology.
And it may be too soon for 4G technologies like WiMax. There are many countries (ABI Research's Orr counts about 100) where 3G is just emerging, so talking about WiMax (a 4G technology) is "very premature for most countries," he said.
... Read moreUpdated at 8:20 a.m. PDT: Added Intel-Nokia announcement and Intel discussion.
Intel and Nokia announced on Tuesday a wide-ranging deal covering chips, hardware, and software for mobile devices.
The companies said their new "long-term relationship" will focus on developing new chip architectures and software and a new class of Intel-based mobile computing devices. The move is part of a major shift for Intel, which is a giant in PC chips but not a player in cell phones.
Among other aspects, the agreement covers mobile applications and wireless Internet access "in a user-friendly pocketable form factor."
The Intel and Nokia effort includes collaboration in several open-source mobile Linux software projects. Intel will also acquire a Nokia HSPA/3G modem IP license for use in future products.
"We will explore new ideas in designs, materials and displays that will go far beyond devices and services on the market today," Nokia said in a statement.
For Intel, the deal adds momentum to its push into the small device/smartphone space. The Nokia announcement follows a pact announced with LG Electronics in February to collaborate on development of smartphones based on Intel's future "Moorestown" silicon and Linux Moblin software.
In March, Intel also announced a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to cooperate in the manufacture of Atom processors.
Intel's need
The point of all of these announcements is to get Intel-architecture chips into cell phones, a giant worldwide market with well over a billion devices sold in 2008.
And the world's largest chipmaker needs to be a player in this market. Smartphones like Apple's iPhone, the Palm Pre, and T-Mobile's Google Android phone, the G1, are taking on many of the attributes of PCs and are increasingly adept at Web browsing, video streaming, and game playing--not unlike a personal computer.
Toshiba just began selling a smartphone that packs a 1GHz Qualcomm processor.
Texas Instruments and other chipmakers are also readying speedy processors for smartphones next year with two processing cores and enhanced video capabilities. And it was disclosed last week that an Nvidia chip will power Microsoft's Zune HD.
And what do those devices and technologies have in common? They're all powered by chips based on the ARM design.
Why ARM? ARM's approach to designing processors is the opposite of Intel's: power efficiency is paramount, performance secondary. Smartphone chips need to operate within a tiny power envelope, typically well under 0.5 watts and must last all day on one battery charge. Current Intel Atom chips--while relatively fast--draw too much power and are hardly suitable for smartphones.
The irony
Ironically, Intel manufactured an ARM-based chip series for many years called Xscale, which traces its heritage to a design called StrongARM. These chips were used in the Hewlett-Packard iPaq, a leading handheld for a number of years. But Intel sold this business to Marvell in 2006.
The chipmaker's strategy now is to shrink its global-standard x86 PC chip architecture to the point where it can run efficiently in smartphones. That's where Moorestown comes in. Intel claims Moorestown will be suited for high-end smartphones by 2010 and that "Medfield" silicon will make it into standard cell phones by 2011.
Neither Intel nor LG gave a date for availability of the LG device, but it is expected to appear soon after Moorestown is available. Intel is saying that Moorestown will be available in 2009 or 2010, though the second half of 2009 appears increasingly likely.
Under the agreement with TSMC, Intel will port its Atom processor technology to TSMC, which will serve solely as a manufacturer of Atom-related silicon--primarily chipsets.
The 1GHz smartphone has arrived. A Japanese telecommunications carrier is the first to launch a device based on Qualcomm's much-anticipated Snapdragon processor.
The Toshiba-Docomo T-01A uses Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon chip.
(Credit: Docomo)Docomo is now offering the T-01A in Japan, while Microsoft is pitching the phone on its Japanese Web site.
This would mark the first commercially available product using the Snapdragon chip, a Qualcomm spokeswoman confirmed Monday. The chip's claim to fame is that it's an ARM design running at 1GHz. Typical ARM architecture chips used in mobile phones, such as the iPhone 3G S, peak at about 600MHz.
A legion of other chip suppliers offer ARM-based chips for mobile devices, including Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Samsung, Nvidia, STMicroelectronics, and Broadcom.
The Toshiba-Docomo T-01A--which will be offered outside of Japan as the TG01--runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and is designed to take on the iPhone. Only 9.9mm thick, it uses a 4.1-inch WVGA 800x480 384k pixel resistive touch screen and comes with support for 3G HSPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and assisted-GPS.
The TG01 is also slated to be available in Europe this summer.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon silicon supports high-definition (720p) video decode, 3D graphics (up to 22M triangles/sec), XGA display support, a 12-megapixel camera, and mobile broadcast TV.
Qualcomm has been talking up the Snapdragon (aka QSD8250) since November 2007, when the company announced initial sample shipments of the chipset.
And Qualcomm won't stop at 1GHz. The San Diego-based company has demonstrated Netbooks running a 1.3GHz Snapdragon processor and will eventually push the chip to 1.5GHz.
The future Qualcomm QSD8672 will be a dual-core Snapdragon that features two CPU computing cores and will include HSPA+, up to 28Mbps download speeds, 1080p high-definition video, Wi-Fi, mobile TV, and GPS. The graphics core is based on Advanced Micro Devices' ATI unit's technology.
Pricing is not immediately available.
(Via Engadget)
A mobile Internet device buoyed by some pre-sales buzz is slated to go on sale July 6. Will consumers notice?
Mobile Internet devices, or MIDs, have been around for a while but never triggered anything near the buying frenzy of Apple's iPhone or the Palm Pre.
Viliv X70 mobile Internet device
(Credit: Dynamism)On July 6, the Viliv X70, based on the Atom Z520 processor, will go on sale in the U.S. from reseller Dynamism. This could prove to be another litmus test for this tweener category of devices.
MIDs look a lot like the iPhone but aren't phones. They're mini PCs. The screens are bigger (a 1024 x 600, 7-inch display in the case of the X70, about twice the size of the iPhone's) and they are designed to offer everything a buyer would expect in a PC: that is, Windows running on Intel processors.
Like PCs, traditionally, MIDs have connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi only.
The Viliv X70 will break the mold by offering the option for 3G (HSPA). Though this won't make it an iPhone, it will give more credence to the "mobile" part of the category name "mobile Internet device."
There will also be an option for a 128GB solid-state drive--something a buyer cannot get on an iPhone or Pre. (X70 video here.)
There's some small print about the 3G worth noting. After the ad copy stating that "you can enjoy broadband Internet anytime on a 3G network," Dynamism points out that "customers in the United States can simply stop into an AT&T store to sign up for service" but that the "T-Mobile network will not support 3G speeds with this device."
Spurious battery life claims are common from all manufacturers. It remains to be seen if the X70 lives up to its claims of 5.5 hours of video playback or 4 hours of live-streaming TV from the Web.
Viliv is manufactured by Korea-based Yukyung Technologies. (See CNET Review's coverage of the current Viliv S5.)
And the price? This may be a deal breaker for some. It starts at $599 for the basics but jumps to $879 with an Atom 1.3GHz Z520 Atom processor, 1GB of memory, a 32GB solid-state drive, GPS, Windows XP Home, and a built-in HSPA modem.
Microsoft has confirmed that the Nvidia "Tegra" chip is inside the upcoming Zune HD, a big win for Nvidia.
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Microsoft Zune HD
This was reported earlier at Engadget and follows reports earlier this week.
"There's been a lot of chatter about us possibly putting the Nvidia Tegra chip in the Zune HD," Matt Akers, software development engineer in test at Microsoft, said in a June 19 podcast. "Well, we're going to go ahead and confirm that. Yes, the Zune HD does have the Tegra chip in it."
He added: "So much better battery life, graphics acceleration. This thing's like a mini laptop in your hand."
Tegra is the first processor Nvidia has built for power-frugal handheld devices, a major departure from the large, power-hungry graphics processors that it sells to the gaming rig and workstation markets.
The system-on-a-chip (SOC) uses less than 0.5 watts of power, an attribute the main Tegra processor inherits from its power-stingy ARM parentage. (And a tiny fraction of the 50-watt-plus ratings of the chipmaker's desktop graphics silicon.) The defining feature of the Tegra SOC, however, is the Nvidia GeForce graphics chip.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang said at the company's analyst day on Tuesday that the Tegra processor is expected to account for half of Nvidia's business in a few years.
The rumors about Microsoft and Tegra go back to November. The first round of rumors put Nvidia's Tegra in a Microsoft phone (which some analysts still believe is a possibility).
To date, Tegra has 42 design wins, ranging from media players to smartphones to Netbooks, according to Michael Rayfield, general manager of Nvidia's mobile business unit, who spoke during Analyst Day. Out of those 42, about 18 are smartphones, he said. "You'll start to see those show up toward the end of this year."
The Zune HD--due later this year--comes with a 3.3-inch, 16:9 OLED (480x272 resolution) screen. And also includes an HD (high-definition) radio, HD (720p) video out, Wi-Fi, a Web browser (with tap-to-zoom technology), built-in accelerometer, and a touch-screen QWERTY keyboard.
Updated on June 19 at 12:15 p.m. PDT: adding Apple processor discussion in addition to earlier iFixit photo update.
What makes the iPhone 3G S tick, and why is it the "fastest iPhone ever"? Rapid Repair and iFixit tear down the iPhone in Paris and London, respectively, providing some clues.
First, a quick glance at Apple's claims for the iPhone 3G S. The ad copy on Apple's Web site claims that it launches applications faster and that Web pages "render in a fraction of the time." Apple doesn't stop there: "Improved performance and updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too," according to Apple.
Apple iPhone 3G S disassembled
(Credit: Rapid Repair)Rapid Repair said Thursday night that the 3G S uses a 600MHz Samsung processor based on the ARM Cortex A8 design. The iPhone also integrates a PowerVR SGX graphics chip from Imagination Technologies, according to Rapid Repair.
This, not surprisingly, beats the iPhone 3G (sans "S"), which uses an older ARM design--that runs at about 400MHz--and a prior-generation graphics chip.
The iFixit team also has done a teardown of the iPhone 3G S, with further analysis to follow.
Though the markings on the main Apple processor do not readily identify the chip, both Rapid Repair and iFixit say it is the Samsung S5PC100. Both sites confirmed this in response to e-mail queries.
The "Samsung ARM Cortex A8-based S5PC100 Mobile Application Processor...adopts a 32-bit ARM Cortex A8 RISC microprocessor and a 64/32-bit internal bus architecture, and operates up to 833MHz," according to documentation on Samsung's site.
The chip is also capable of high-definition (HD) 720p video, Samsung states.
iPhone 3G S main circuit board with Apple-branded processor
(Credit: iFixit)CNET Reviews has validated Apple's speed claims, saying "for most native applications that don't depend on a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, the iPhone 3G S was consistently faster."
The review continues: "The iPhone 3G S opened the iPod player almost 5 seconds faster, and it was much quicker at loading some notoriously slow apps. For example, Bejewled 2, which can take up to 12 seconds to load on the iPhone 3G, started in just 5 seconds on the 3G S."
And: "The iPhone 3G S also started up much quicker than the iPhone 3G--we were up and running in 26 seconds instead of 50 seconds."
The Palm Pre also uses a Cortex A8 application processor from ARM and the PowerVR SGX graphics from Imagination.
The rumors appear to be true: Microsoft's Zune HD media player will use Nvidia's Tegra, a processor that will play a pivotal role in the chip supplier's future.
Microsoft Zune HD
(Credit: Microsoft)PC Perspective reported Tuesday that the Zune chip had been confirmed by Nvidia "staff" at Computex, earlier this month.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jen-Hsun Huang said at the company's analyst day on Tuesday that the Tegra processor is expected to account for half of Nvidia's business in a few years. If this prediction comes true, Nvidia will bear little resemblance to the company it is today: a maker of large, power-hungry chips for gamers and professionals.
Tegra is the polar opposite of the hot, heat-sink-clad graphics processors that power the fastest gaming rigs today. Tegra uses less than 0.5 watts of power (compared, for example, with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 295, which is rated at 289 watts), an attribute the chip inherits from its power-stingy ARM parentage.
Tegra packs two ARM chips. One is the main application processor--based on the ARM11 core--which runs the operating system. Tegra's defining feature, however, is the Nvidia GeForce graphics chip: this is what likely caught Microsoft's eye. In total, Tegra integrates eight independent processors, according to Michael Rayfield, general manager of Nvidia's mobile business unit, who spoke during Nvidia's Analyst Day.
Audio codec technology has been developed by PortalPlayer, which Nvidia acquired in 2006, Rayfield said.
To date, Tegra has 42 design wins, according to Rayfield. "They range from media players to smartphones to smartbooks to Web pads," he said. Out of those 42, about 18 are smartphones. "You'll start to see those show up toward the end of this year," he said.
The smartphones are "household names, household carriers. Names you'll recognize," he said, possibly alluding to Microsoft, among other major brands. A total of 27 manufacturers are working on devices, he said.
Not everybody is impressed, however. "It's surprised me that it's taking as long as it is to get to tier-one (telecommunications carriers)," said Doug Freedman of Broadpoint AmTech. "Tegra has been available for over a year."
The Zune HD--due later this year--comes with a 3.3-inch, 16:9 OLED (480x272 resolution) screen. And also includes an HD (high-definition) Radio, HD (720p) video out, Wi-Fi, a Web browser (with tap-to-zoom technology), built-in accelerometer, and touchscreen QWERTY keyboard.
Updated at 12:15 p.m. PDT: adding Centrino and Deborah Conrad discussions.
Intel has spelled out its branding for the upcoming Core series of processors including the "Lynnfield" and "Clarksfield" chips. The chipmaker also said that "Centrino" will be phased out as a PC brand.
In a post Wednesday on Intel's Web site, spokesman Bill Calder wrote that the branding will be "simplified into entry-level (Intel Core i3), mid-level (Intel Core i5), and high-level (Intel Core i7)."
Calder added that it is "important to note that these are not brands but modifiers to the Intel Core brand that signal different features and benefits."
The upcoming Lynnfield chip (desktop) will be available as either Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 depending upon the feature set and capability, Calder wrote. Clarksfield (mobile) will have the Intel Core i7 name.
Deborah Conrad, vice president and director of corporate marketing at Intel, talks about new branding strategy via video on Intel Web site
Arrandale (32-nanometer mobile) will appear as the Core i3 but will ultimately span the Core brand to include Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7. Clarkdale (32-nanometer desktop) will be available under the Core i3 and Intel Core i5 brands, Calder said.
The widely-used Centrino moniker will be phased out as a PC brand, according to Calder. Centrino "will be used as a name for Wi-Fi and WiMAX products" and "still be in market on mobile PCs into next year," he said. But eventually will be discontinued.
"In the back half of this year you'll begin to see Core i5 and more Core i7s coming to market. Then by the first part of next year you'll begin to see Core i3, and i5, i7," said Deborah Conrad, vice president and director of corporate marketing at Intel, speaking in a video posted on Intel's Web site. "Then the old names will get retired as those products get phased out," she said.
Intel also disclosed other branding. "We will still have Celeron for entry-level computing at affordable price points, Pentium for basic computing, and of course the Intel Atom processor for all these new devices ranging from netbooks to smartphones," according to the post. "For PC purchasing, think in terms of good-better-best with Celeron being good, Pentium better, and the Intel Core family representing the best we have to offer," he wrote.
"We are focusing our strategy around a primary 'hero' client brand which is Intel Core. Today the Intel Core brand has a mind boggling array of derivatives (such as Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, etc). Over time those will go away and in its place will be a simplified family of Core processors," Calder wrote.
Calder continued: "This will be an evolutionary process taking place over time, and we acknowledge that multiple brands will be in the market next year including older ones, as we make the transition."
