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Tag: hsdpa

  • Broadcom Announces New Android Platform to Enable Mass Market Smartphones

    Broadcom has announced a new baseband platform that provides simultaneous HSDPA modem connectivity and Android-based applications processing.

    According to the company, the new Broadcom BCM2157 dual-core baseband processor delivers high-end smartphone features on more affordable 3G Android handsets: this includes mobile hot-spot, multi-touch screens, innovative media and applications processing, "and other capabilities that will help handset makers drive these features to a larger tier of users."

    The BCM2157 baseband processor platform includes the following features:

    • 3G HSDPA modem supports 7.2 Megabits per second (Mbps) downstream connectivity and worldwide roaming.
    • Built-in support for HVGA displays, multi-touch screens, 5 megapixel digital cameras, 3G dual SIM/dual standby, and other key smartphone capabilities.
    • Dual-core ARM processors for dedicated modem support and superior application processing (500MHz).
    • Broadcom’s complete connectivity suite, featuring Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC solutions, including InConcert technology that makes these various technologies work better together.
    • Support for mobile hotspot functionality, allowing the handset to share the 3G connection with up to 8 simultaneous devices or users via Wi-Fi.

    The platform is based on mature technology, building on the proven architecture of the BCM2153 and is now sampling to early access customers with first commercial launches expected in Q1 2011.

    "The smartphone continues to influence the cellular industry, with defining features like multi-touch screens and the ability to run applications now enriching lower cost handsets. We’ve maximized the functionality of our new Android-processing baseband platform to enable our partners to deliver the most popular features in more affordable designs," said Scott Bibaud, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom’s Mobile Platforms Group

  • New Display Technologies Stalking LCD


    Cost remains a key factor in ensuring LCD is the display of choice for most handsets.

    But a report from ABI Research suggests a number of new and not-so-new display technologies are vying for a chunk of LCD’s vast market share.

    It points out that since LCD is a mature technology, it has a cost advantage that ensures its future as the primary display technology for some time to come.

    But while LCD displays have improved greatly over the years, their performance still falls short in a number of key areas such as power consumption and readability in bright light conditions.

    Kevin Burden, ABI’s research director, said this is where new technologies are looking to capitalize.

    He said that Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) could be the ones most suited to take on LCD.

    “Of the challengers OLEDs are among leading contenders because of the maturity of their development and their use in other devices, such as televisions, which will strengthen their supply chain,” he said.

    Samsung recently announced plans to introduce a mobile handset on the consumer market with an active matrix (AM) OLED display.

    The SCH-W690 is a clamshell design HSDPA handset that will be introduced initially in the Korean market.

    Its significance is the incorporation of a 2.6 inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 240×320 pixels and 262k colors.

    In contrast to OLEDs, the ABI report suggests that Qualcomm’s micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based “mirasol” display is finding its first role in secondary screens found on clamshell handsets.

    In 2009 Qualcomm will open a dedicated mirasol display factory in Taiwan which is a major step towards ramping up its supply chain.

    E-Ink, the “electronic paper” display in Amazon’s Kindle, is also targeting the handset market.

    Though it is physically robust and boasts very low power consumption, E-Ink’s current lack of color handling and low refresh rate may limit its immediate appeal, but also has opportunity as a phone’s secondary display.

    However all these displays face one big hurdle: they cost more than LCD displays.

    The enormous volumes in the mobile phone market means that even a differential of a few cents can make the difference between adoption and rejection.

    Over time, though, prices will fall and as Burden notes: “It’s a long road ahead for these new display companies, but even a niche in the handset market could prove very profitable indeed.”

  • Boost for mobile broadband as T-Mobile UK improves photo and video upload speeds


    Mobile operator T-Mobile UK has deployed HSUPA technology on a nationwide basis to improve upload speeds for users.
    The operator has promised the change will result in an improvement of to fivefold in the time it takes to upload photos and videos to web sites at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps.
    T-Mobile claims it is the first UK carrier to have committed to the data access protocol.
    The company said it is also upgrading the download capability of its HSDPA 3G network to 7.2Mbps, initially within the M25 zone encircling London but rolling out to other major cities during the second half of the year.
    T-Mobile is also trying to drive data usage, by cutting data roaming charges 80 per cent, to £1.50 per MB while travelling in EU member countries.
    Customers signing up for Mobile Broadband before October will also receive a £5 discount, knocking the price down to £10 per month.
    An online ‘postcode checker’ also allows potential customers to gauge the coverage and strength of 3G signal at their home.
    Jim Hyde, T-Mobile UK’s chief executive, said: “Mobile Broadband has come of age.
    “Today, 25 per cent of new contract customers are signing up and we expect to quadruple our user base in 2008.”