Samsung Electronics has introduced a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex A9-based CPU for tablets, netbooks and smartphones.
Codenamed Orion, the chip features a pair of 1-GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores, each comes with a 32-kbyte data cache and a 32-kbyte instruction cache. It reportedly doubles the Hummingbird’s performance, while improving battery life, allowing 1080p video capability and HD recording. The single core Hummingbird processor powers the Epic 4G and the upcoming Samsung Tab.
Samsung also included a 1-Mbyte L2 cache to optimize CPU processing performance. A graphics processing unit allows Orion to deliver five times the 3-D graphics performance of the previous processor generation from Samsung.
Samsung did not state whether the GPU is based on Mali licensed from ARM Holding plc, a PowerVR core licensed from Imagination Technologies Group plc or a third alternative.
Storage options include NAND flash, moviNAND, solid-state disk or hard disk drive. A GPS receiver is embedded in the processor.
Orion’s display controller can drive two on-device screens as well as driving a third external display such as a TV or a monitor, via an on-chip HDMI 1.3a interface. It will be available to some customers in the fourth quarter of 2010 and is scheduled for mass production in the first half of 2011.
Meanwhile, LG has teamed up with NVIDIA for the Tegra 2 processer, a 1GHz chip. LG is claiming that they will produce the world’s first dual-core cellphones, and that a line of them will hit in Q4 2010.
The next generation Tegra chip features a dual-core ARM Cortex -A9 Processor with an Ultra Low Power NVIDIA Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).
The Samsung Galaxy S family uses the speedy single core 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird CPU. Variants of the phone are now available on all four major U.S. carriers.
They include AT&T’s Samsung Captivate ($199.99-499.99), T-Mobile’s Samsung Vibrant ($199.99-499.99), and Sprint’s Samsung Epic 4G ($249.99-499.99). Today the Verizon Fascinate ($199.99 direct, with contract), became available on Verizon.
Samsung has shipped 1 million Galaxy S smartphones in the U.S. in the first 45 days since their mid-July launch, the company said Monday. For comparison, the iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million devices in the first weekend.
Samsung, the world’s largest television manufacturer, may run Google’s Android software in their tvs to compete with Sony and Apple, says Bloomberg. It will work with Google TV, which is being developed with Sony and Intel.
Google will launch its service to bring the Web to TV screens in the United States this autumn and worldwide next year, according to CEO Eric Schmidt. It will allow full Internet browsing via the television, and will be free. Google would work with a variety of program makers and electronics manufacturers to bring it to consumers.
Schmidt also said Google would announce partnerships later this year with makers of tablet computers that would use Google’s Chrome operating system, due to be launched soon, rather than its Android phone software, which has been used for mobile devices until now.
