A new three-core processor from Marvell, the Armada 628, is a 1.5GHz processor with three CPUs on one chip. Designed for powering smartphones and tablets, this tri-core processor can purportedly deliver dual stream 1080p 3D video to your mobile device.
Marvell claims this processor will be "ultra-low-power" and provide mobile devices with longer battery lives, playing back music for over 140 hours. With 200 million triangles per second on a low power setting, the Marvell Armada should provide more than 10 hours of video at 3 GHz of computational power. It should also be able to output to two LCD screens simultaneously, as well as over HDMI.
What mobile OSes would run on the Armada 628? According to Marvell, the Armada supports RIM OS, Android, Linux, and Windows Mobile, as well as full Adobe Flash. It also supports DirectX, Open GL ES 2.0, and Open VG 1.1, giving mobile game developers what should prove to be a powerful platform for creating games for on-the-go. The Armada should also be able to support USB 3.0, which can transfer data at speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
The real question: when will these processors start appearing in smartphones and tablets? Marvell says that the "Armada 628 is currently available for sampling to customers," and for more details to check Marvell's Website, which hasn't been updated to reflect the existence of the 628 yet.
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