Chip designer ARM has just revealed its next-gen architecture for the processors that will be powering phones, tablets, and other devices in 2016. ARM Cortex-A72 chips will be up to 3.5 times as fast as a 2014-era chip based on ARM Cortex-A15 architecture, while using up to 75 percent less energy. ARM doesn’t make processors […]
chips
Qualcomm: 60+ devices with Snapdragon 810 chips on the way
Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 810 processor is a 64-bit, octa-core chip based on ARMv8 architecture and Adreno 430 graphics. The chip maker introduced the processor last year and it should begin shipping soon. In fact, Qualcomm says there are more than 60 “premium tier mobile devices” using Snapdragon 810 chips on the way. That includes hardware […]
Leaked Qualcomm roadmap outlines Snapdragon 815 and 820 chips (maybe)
Smartphones with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 805 chip only started shipping recently and the Snapdragon 810 isn’t out yet. But there are reports that the company could ship Snapdragon 815 and 820 chips later this year, along with updated 600 series processors. Take this all with a grain of salt — Qualcomm hasn’t actually announced any of […]
Actions Semiconductor joins the 64-bit chip party
Actions Semiconductor’s first 64-it processor is on the way. The ATM9009 is a quad-core chip based on ARM Cortex-A53 architecture, and it’s designed for high-end Android tablets and TV boxes. The chip features PowerVR G6230 graphics, support for HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD video playback, and Actions says the processor can handle displays up to 2560 […]
Rumor: MediaTek considering 10, 12-core mobile chips
Once upon a time people tended to judge processors by their megahertz or gigahertz speeds. But not all 1 GHz chips are created equal. Other factors including voltage and chip architecture come into play. Given a choice, I’d rather have a 2 GHz Core i3 Broadwell processor than a 2.16 GHz Pentium Bay Trail chip. These […]
First look: Rockchip RK3368 octa-core, 64-bit CPU
Rockchip is showing off a developer kit for its first 64-bit, octa-core processor at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. The RK3368 kit includes a the company’s new processor hooked up to a series of boards powering a touchscreen display running Android 5.0 Lollipop. When I actually tried to use the tablet, it felt incredibly […]
New chips from Rockchip, Allwinner, MediaTek
Three of Asia’s top chip makers are launching new processors during the week of the Consumer Electronics Show. Allwinner has a new 64-bit chip priced at just $5. Rockchip is launching its first octa-core processor. And MediaTek has new chips aimed at smart TV devices and at wearables. Allwinner A64 Allwinner’s latest chip is a quad-core, […]
Intel Atom Cherry Trail chips for tablets coming in first half of 2015
Intel’s next-generation of processors aimed at affordable, low-power tablets is set to launch in the first half of 2015. Intel’s Cherry Trail chips will be the first Atom processors based on a 14 nanometer, system-on-a-chip architecture. The chip maker says Cherry Trail will offer faster graphics and longer battery life than the Bay Trail chips […]
Intel expands Broadwell lineup: Chips for notebooks, tablets, desktops
The first Intel Broadwell chips based on 5th-gen Core technology began shipping in the fall. But those first Broadwell chips were all part of the low-power, 4.5 watt Intel Core M family aimed at thin-and-light, often fanless devices including 2-in-1 notebook/tablet products. Now Intel is expanding the Broadwell family with more powerful 15 watt and 28 […]
NVIDIA Tegra X1: octa-core chip with 256-core Maxwell graphics
Last year NVIDIA introduced a mobile processor with 192-core Kepler graphics. This year the company’s stepping up its game with the Tegra X1 chip. It’s a 64-bit, 8-core mobile processor with 256-core Maxwell graphics: the same graphics technology used in the desktop and notebook graphics chips NVIDIA introduced in 2014. NVIDIA says the processor can […]