联发科：让千元智能机拥有iPhone 4S的功能

瞄准不断成长的中阶和入门级智能手机市场，联发科(Media)稍早前推出全新双核心手机平台 MT6577 ，可提供媲美高阶智能手机的功能，如苹果(Apple)的 iPhone 4S 。 新平台内含两个1GHz的 Cortex-A9 应用处理器，以及联发科经验证的 3G/HSPA调制解调器，并采用Imagination Technologies的 PowerVR Series5 SGX 绘图处理单元，以及最新的 Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’操作系统。 对联发科来说， MT6577 的使命非常明确：将今天600美元智能手机上的多媒体功能导入中阶和入门级的150~200美元智能手机之中，进而改写2012和2013年全球智能手机市场版图。 联发科北美及西欧业务开发总监Finbarr Moynihan 表示，MT6577 使用台积电(TMSC) 40nm 制程，并已开始和主要客户展开设计。“预计今年第三季，首款采用 MT6577 的产品就会问世。” Forward Concepts公司总裁Will Strauss表示，“显然，双Cortex-A9核心和HSPA调制解调器是整合在相同的晶粒上，目前其最大的竞争对手就是高通(Qualcomm)。” 联发科已经在全球手机市场取得领先，“这是指产量而言“但不包含营收”，”Moynihan说。 未来五年内，中阶及入门级智能手机的年复合成长率预期将高达45%，而Moynihan将之形容为“智能手机民 主化的趋势”。 全球智能手机销售情况 (单位：百万部)

红色：超高阶智能手机(>$300)；粉红色：高阶智能手机(>$191~ $299)；黄色：中阶智能手机($100~190)；绿色：入门级智能手机($ 36~99美元)
资料来源：Strategy AnalyticsgPQesmc

他进一步指出，“中国是目前规模最大的智能手机市场。”中国消费者对功能较少的手机不感兴趣，Moynihan解释道。“他们喜欢功能丰富的手机，”这些手机可以执行各式应用软件，拥有丰富的多媒体功能、游戏，可以连接移动网络。而随着推出全新 MT6577 平台，联发科也预计将赶上中国的智能手机热潮。联发科的新手机平台应该会在欧洲这些已开发市场的电信业者之间受到欢迎，Moynihan补充道，因为许多 电信业者都计划推动以资料服务为主的移动设备，以缓和因补贴智能手机而升高的成本。他表示，MT6577应该有助于提升中阶到入门级智能手机的部署量。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：MT6577 vs. iPhone 4S性能大比拼

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{pagination} 联发科计划运用该公司现有的 HSPA 智能手机平台优势，包括 MT6573 和 MT6575 在内。新的 MT6577 平台也与该公司现有的单核心装置接脚兼容，手机制造商可以轻易地在新系统中采用新的双核心平台。 联发科的全新双核心1GHz ortex-A9 CPU可作为高性能多媒体子系统的主控端，这些子系统包括800万像素相机、立体3D相机、1080p 30fps/15fps影片播放和录制能力；以及1,280 × 720 的先进显示功能。 举例来说，若手机厂商想要开发一款具备立体3D相机的智能手机，那么新的MT6577平台便可支持双CMOS相机传感器的能力，而且“几乎不需要额外费用，因为MT6577并不需要桥接芯片，也不需要其它的芯片来支持这些功能。” MT6577 vs. iPhone 4S的功能比较MT6577 可实现HD720显示，相当于三星(Samsung) Galaxy S3 所搭载的 720p 分辨率。相较之下，目前 iPhone 则是使用640 × 960的显示屏幕。 Moynihan 表示，“这并不是我们的重点，事实上MT6577还能用在入门级的7寸平板设计中，而且能提供相当不错的显示品质。”他接着指出， MT6577 具备视讯后处理能力，可提升智能手机和智能电视上的影像品质。

MT6577可提供更高阶的智能手机体验。
资料来源：联发科gPQesmc

MT6577 中整合了许多先进多媒体功能，该平台结合了基频和应用处理器──而这点出了未来行动市场上基于德州仪器(TI) OMAP 的独立应用处理器将面临的问题。Forward Concepts的Strauss指出，该公司一直预测整合基频和应用处理器的组件将在多元化的手机市场成为要角……，事实上，Forward Concepts也一直不看好独立型基频和应用处理器。 此前，联发科宣布收购台湾的晨星半导体(MStar Semiconductor)。(请见：大小M牵手还会有波折，其它厂商开始紧张)。联发科预计2013年初完成合并。 长期来看，Strauss表示，晨星在中国的传统2G白牌市场一直与联发科处于竞争状态，因此，此次合并将可整合双方实力，扩展其市场占有率。 编译： Joy Teng 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：参考英文原文：MediaTek to bring premier smartphone features to $150 - $200 handsets ，by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} MediaTek to bring premier smartphone features to $150 - $200 handsets Junko Yoshida PARIS – Gunning for a growing market in mid- and entry-level smartphones, MediaTek Inc. (Hsinchu, Taiwan) is rolling out today a new dual-core mobile phone platform, dubbed MT6577, offering advanced multimedia features similar to those available on high-end smartphones such as Apple’s iPhones 4S. The new platform, which combines a dual 1GHz Cortex-A9 application processor from ARM with MediaTek’s proven 3G/HSPA modem, features a PowerVR Series5 SGX graphics processing unit from Imagination Technologies, and runs the latest Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” operating system. For MediaTek, the MT6577’s mission is clear: Piling together the multimedia features available on today’s $600 smartphone to mid- to entry-level $150 - $200 smartphones , and thus changing global smartphone market dynamics in 2012 and 2013. The MT6577, fabricated by using a 40nm process technology at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., is already in active design-in activities with lead customers, according to Finbarr Moynihan, director of business development, North America and Western Europe. “First models using the MT6577 will emerge in the third quarter of this year.” Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, said, “Clearly, with dual Cortex-A9s and HSPA modem on the same die, its biggest competitor is Qualcomm.” MediaTek already commands the number one position on the global mobile phone chip market, “in terms of volume [but not in revenue],” said Moynihan. Forecasting a whopping 45 percent compound annual growth rate for mid- to entry-level smart phones over the next five years, Moynihan described the trend as the “democratization of smartphones.” Global smarpthone sales by wholesale price tier (millions of units) Red: Premium smartphones (>$300); Pink: High-end smartphones (>$191-$299); Light yellow: Mid-level smartphones ($100-$190); Green: Entry-level smartphones ($36-$99) He added, “China is becoming the largest smartphone market now.” Chinese consumers aren’t looking for mobile phones with less features, Moynihan explained. “They prefer feature-rich phones,” designed to run apps, rich multimedia, games and mobile Internet. With the new MT6577, MediaTek plans to ride China’s smartphone wave in a big way. MediaTek’s new mobile phone platform should be popular among operators in developed markets like Europe, added Moynihan, because many operators, poised to drive the data-centric mobile devices in their networks, are suffering from the rising cost of subsidies for smartphones. The MT6577 should help increase the volume deployment of mid- to entry-level smartphones, he explained. MediaTek plans to take advantage of the company’s existing, popular HSPA smartphone platforms – such as the MT6573 and MT6575. By making the new MT6577 a pin-to-pin compatible with the current single-core devices, handset vendors can simply drop in the new dual-core device on the same footprint in a system. MediaTek’s new dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 CPU is designed to enable a host of high-performance multimedia subsystems. They include: 8-Megapixel camera; stereo 3-D camera; up to 1080p 30 frames per second/15 frames per second video playback and record capability; 1280 x 720 advanced display capabilities. For example, if a handset vendor wants to create a smartphone with a stereo 3-D camera, the new MT6577 platform can offer the ability to support dual CMOS camera sensors “with almost no additional cost,” said Moynihan, as the MT6577 requires neither a bridge chip nor a support chip to enable that. Comparisons on feature sets: MT6577 vs. iPhone 4S The MT6577 enables an HD720 display, equivalent to the 720p resolution display featured in Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone. The current iPhone, in contrast, features a 640 x 960 display. Moynihan said, “Although it is not our main focus, the MT6577 could be also designed into a good, entry-level 7-inch tablet with reasonably good display quality.” He added that the MT6577 comes with video post processing capabilities, enhancing picture quality both on smartphone and smart TV substantially – in terms of color depth and richness. The stuffing of this many advanced multimedia features packed into the MT6577 – which combines baseband and apps processor – poses issues for Texas Instruments’ OMAP-based standalone app processor in the future mobile market. Forward Concepts’ Strauss noted, “Forward Concepts has long forecast the combo baseband and application chip will be the plurality in the cell phone market... as opposed to separate basebands and application processors.” He added, “That doesn't mean that OMAP is out of the business, but TI has to be addressing a diminishing market opportunity, unless they get back into the baseband business.” MediaTek last Friday announced a tender offer to acquire shares of MStar Semiconductor, also based in Taiwan. Through this tender offer, MediaTek plans to acquire MStar shares for 0.794 MediaTek shares and NT$1 in cash per MStar share. Upon completion of the tender offer and subject to approval from relevant authorities, MediaTek also said it plans to conduct a follow-on merger with MStar and expects to complete the merger process in early 2013. The subsequent merger requires consent from the board of directors and shareholders of both companies, MediaTek added. Forward Concepts’ Strauss, asked about the merger, said, “MStar was eating into MediaTek's traditional 2G whitebox market in China, so the ‘merger’ was necessary to protect that market share.”