Prepare for a 1 GHz Processor in an Upcoming Handheld

ARM has announced a new processor design that will lead to handhelds and smartphones with 1 gigahertz (GHz) chips in the next few years.

ARM creates designs for processor cores and then licenses them to other companies, like Intel and Motorola. Both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile run on ARM-based chips.

The company's new Cortex-A8 processor will deliver up to 2,000 DMIPS, making it appropriate for demanding consumer products running multi-channel video, audio, and gaming applications.

It will be made with 65 nm technology and draw less than 300 mW.

"The performance specifications are truly stunning and I expect that the Cortex-A8 processor will ensure ARM's continued leadership in the portable electronics market," said Will Strauss, president and principal analyst of market watcher Forward Concepts.

Unfortunately, it will be several years before devices running this chip are available.

"Cortex will be for phones that will be coming out in 2008 or 2009 ... We develop the IP (intellectual property) about 3 years before it would land in the hands of consumers," ARM vice president Bruce Beckloff told Reuters.

ARM has already secured five licensees for the Cortex-A8 processor, including Freescale, Matsushita, Samsung and Texas Instruments, and future support from major EDA and Operating System vendors.

More information is available on the ARM web site.

Thanks to Gizmodo for the tip.

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