Intel Announces New Mobile Processor Family

Posted By: Ryan Monday, April 12, 2004 11:52:05 AM

Intel today announced a new family of processors based on Intel XScale technology aimed at mobile devices, PDAs and smartphones. The new PXA270 line of processors feature new wireless MMX technology and speed step technology for rich multimedia optimization and reduced power consumption.

The Intel® PXA27x family of processors, formerly code-named "Bulverde," adds a number of new technologies to address the needs of cell phone and PDA users. It is the first product to integrate the Intel Wireless MMX technology, providing additional performance for 3-D games and advanced video while improving battery-life. The new chip also utilizes Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology, enabling significant power savings by intelligently managing voltage and frequency changes similar to the technology used in the company's notebook processors.

Also for the first time, Intel has integrated important security features through its Intel Wireless Trusted Platform to provide services such as trusted boot, secure storage of private information and cryptographic keys, and support for common security protocols. To help increase camera phone capabilities and quality, Intel has also incorporated Intel Quick Capture technology to support cameras delivering up to four or more megapixels of image quality.

Intel PXA270 processor The Intel PXA27x processor family will be offered in multiple configurations of clock speeds running from 312 up to 624 MHz, and with as much as 64 megabytes of stacked Intel StrataFlash memory.

"Advances in wireless broadband demand a new kind of wireless device," said Sean Maloney, Intel executive vice president and general manager, Intel Communications Group. "As various forms of wireless broadband access become increasingly available -- 3G, Wi-Fi or WiMAX -- mobile devices must have plenty of performance balanced with low power capabilities to be able to handle all that the Internet has to offer."

New Mobile Multimedia Accelerator
Optimized to complement the Intel PXA27x processor family, the new Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator delivers advanced video and graphic capabilities to enable full screen video at full frame rates without sacrificing battery life. The Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator delivers DVD-quality video playback on VGA displays and supports a wide range of video formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and Microsoft Windows Media Video 9.

The Intel 2700G enables crisp graphics and the high resolution (up to SXVGA) dual display features enable business users to view two independent images simultaneously. This allows for a variety of business activities, such as video conferencing or running presentations directly from a PDA or other wireless device. For entertainment purposes, the Intel 2700G delivers an outstanding mobile gaming experience, giving users exciting, 3D content on their mobile device.

The Intel PXA27x processor family is available today in sample quantities, with volume production this quarter. The Intel PXA270 processor at 312 MHz has a suggested list price of $32 (USD) in 10,000 unit quantities. The Intel 2700G Multimedia Accelerator has a suggested list price of $17 (USD) in 10,000 unit quantities. Products using the new chips could debut withing the 2Q.

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Cool

crazyswede @ 4/12/2004 1:32:20 PM #

Looks interesting :)

Palmone better announce some new handhelds tomorrow or I am going to go down there and give them a good hiding....

I still have not made my mind up and now with these being released I think I better wait.

I wonder if the rumoured E2 are going to use one of the lower or mid range cpus? If it does and it has a 480x320 screen then I will buy it :D

RE: Cool

abosco @ 4/12/2004 2:44:23 PM #

624 MHz! :O You could easily overclock that to 800 MHz, or underclock it to 100 MHz. Utterly amazing. And with 64 MB Flash onboard! Beats the current PXA26x line with 32 MB Flash. Intel seems to be keeping very current with mobile technology trends, and they beat Samsung to the punch with getting these third generation mobile processors out to market. I can't wait.

So how's the HHE looking with 123 MHz? Please.

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T616

RE: Cool

TTrules @ 4/12/2004 3:51:26 PM #

I don't know whether this intel processor or the TI omap 2 will be beter. In a previous article, I read that the omap 2 would be available in speeds of up to 1 gigahert. If this is so, then intel better give up now.

One Palm to rule them all!

RE: Cool

robrecht @ 4/13/2004 6:58:19 AM #

"You could easily overclock that to 800 MHz, or underclock it to 100 MHz"

With the SpeedStep technology, would you still want to underclock this? Also, read somewhere that overclocking this processor creates heat and battery issues.

Thanks, robrecht

RE: Cool

JonathanChoo @ 4/13/2004 8:29:15 AM #

Who cares about clock speed. Look at the AMD Athlon XP and 64 CPUs and you know that clock speeds does not matter. What Intel needs to do is increase the cache in their CPUs while moving to 90nm in order to decrease the die size. Ramping up the clock speed is a bonus but not essential. PDA manufacturers also need to use faster memory.

---
PDAs: Psion 5> Vx > m505 > N770C > T625C > NR70V > e310 > T/T > HP h2210 > T/T3 & h4150
Mobiles: StarTac > T28m > T39m > T68m > T610 > T630
DigiCam: DiMage E323

RE: Cool

helf @ 4/13/2004 10:51:39 AM #

I was about to say the same thing. Clock freq is not everything. Theres lots of other factors. This might be a decent cpu but I doubt it. Intel has been producing crap lately.

Now I'm going to get flamed :)

Buncha flamers ;P

Oh me oh my

vesther @ 4/12/2004 2:42:19 PM #

Poor TI, they seem to have harsh competition from Intel.....

First, the Tungsten handhelds were powered by TI's OMAP line of processors, then it came to the Intel X-Scale family of processors, and now I see Intel's PXA27x family of processors?!?!

Well, I hope AMD makes a move to compete against Intel and TI on the PDA Processor market soon.....

If Intel continues to make deals with PalmOne, then it could be the end of TI's hopes of powering PalmOne handhelds, but I hope that we all have a choice of processors from this point onward.

A Palm-Powered Handheld is the bread and butter for many people. Without a Palm-Powered Handheld, your progress is all for naught.

RE: Oh me oh my

markgm @ 4/12/2004 3:27:41 PM #

That'd be interesting to see AMD get their hand in all of this. I never thought of that before, I wonder if they do.

RE: Oh me oh my

javertiz @ 4/12/2004 4:31:31 PM #

AMD doesn't have the investment capital for this. They bet all or nothing on their Athlon 64 (Hammer) and their server based Opteron chips. AMD is currently focusing on building marketshare in the OEM server market so I doubt they'll invest in PDA type processors just to play catch-up to Intel all over again.
It would be interesting to see companies who currently build low power processors tackle the PDA market. I can definitely see space for VIA and Transmeta in this segment.

RE: Oh me oh my

grg @ 4/12/2004 7:59:52 PM #

Well, Intel is notorious for boosting the CPU frequency too often while the supposed performance gain is only proved - suspiciously - by certain benchmarks.
Anyway, I prefer an organiser that can last 24 hours of PIM use than a gadget for showing off or a toy where I can play Quake3 in 5x5cm screen for 30mins.

RE: Oh me oh my

Timothy Rapson @ 4/12/2004 8:30:59 PM #

Actually, AMD already has a RISC mobile/embedded chip that runs up to 800MZ. They put it into a Linux OS PDA prototype about a year ago. It is not ARM compatible, but it is the same sort of chip (RISC).

But, Intel and TI are not the only big players in ARMs. Motorola and Samsung make them too. There is already a LOT of choice here. I doubt AMD will jump in and doubt even more that they would change the market significantly even if they did.

My question on these new Intels is what happened to X-scale technology and will this offer real improvements in speed and battery life?

RE: Oh me oh my

robrecht @ 4/13/2004 7:04:18 AM #

"Anyway, I prefer an organiser that can last 24 hours of PIM use than a gadget for showing off or a toy where I can play Quake3 in 5x5cm screen for 30mins."

Read somewhere that these will use significantly less power than PXA262 chips, eg, 42% better battery life playing MP3s and 77% better playing QVGA video.

Thanks, robrecht

SpeedStep

commando @ 4/12/2004 8:14:03 PM #

SpeedStep is the biggest thing here for me. Battery life on the latest PDAs is quite terrible, anything to help extend it would be welcome. My old Palm V went for a week or two without charging, i'd love for newer ones to do that, but with the fast processors and bright color screens it's a big ask.