Marvell launches the next 1 GHz smartphone processor

At CES 2010, chipmaker Marvell showed off its ARMADA 610 applications processor for tablets, mobile internet devices (MIDs), media players, and other portable connected devices. The impressive ARM v7-based chip runs at 1 GHz and is capable of encoding and decoding full 1080p HD at 30 fps, and 3D rendering up to 45 million triangles per second. At its CES booth, Marvell showed a single reference model tablet rendering 3D graphics while playing full HD video smoothly through HDMI on a 30" television. Marvell said the chip's display controller is actually capable of playing video on four simultaneous displays with 2k x 2k resolution.

Today, just ahead of Mobile World Congress, Marvell announced it will be showing off the next chip in the 600 series, called the ARMADA 618, which is a close relative of the 610 especially suited for smartphones.

The ARMADA 618 is based on a Marvell-designed 1 GHz ARM v7-compatible CPU with a 12mm x 12mm footprint. It can use LP-DDR1 or DDR2 memory up to 533 MHz, and its graphics engine supports DirectX, Open GL ES 2.0, and Open VG 1.1. The unit supports Linux, Android, Windows Mobile, and full Adobe Flash.