ARM, the quiet, unassuming British boffins behind almost all the world's smartphone and tablet chip designs, just unveiled the Cortex-A72 (as well as other supporting bits and pieces).
The new 64-bit CPU-core design is much faster, yet sips much less power. There are also new GPU and interconnect designs, with similar improvements.
All the usual chip-makers will be incorporating the new designs into their hardware, so next year should see a step-change-improvement in speed and battery life -- according to ARM, that is.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers can't wait to prove the pudding. Not to mention: Those Balls Are Perfect…
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.
Oh, if only James Niccolai had a nickel:
The company that powers your smartphones [introduces] the Cortex-A72 [which] will provide 3.5 times the performance of [the] A15 design...used in phones and tablets today. ... ARM's CPU designs...consume very little power. [It] will run at up to...3.5GHz in tablets.
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ARM also introduced a new graphics chip...the Mali-T880 [and] updated its CoreLink technology. [The] CCI-500 Cache Coherent Interconnect will move data...up to twice as fast. MORE
A cool and quiet Chris Williams puns it up:
Watt the? ... The 64-bit Cortex-A72 [is] aimed at giving...smartphones and tablets extra oomph. ... We're told a 16nm A72 has about twice the performance of a 20nm Cortex-A57 [at] half the power. ... A single core going full-tilt will draw 0.5W. [It] can run ARMv7 32-bit and ARMv8-A 64-bit code...includes the usual TrustZone [and] hardware virtualization support.
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More than 10 companies...licensed the A72...from ARM, headquartered in Cambridge, UK. ... TSMC and AMD...tout the A57 as server class. [So] ARM's decision to pitch [the] A72, squarely at smartphones and tablets [is] shoving data center tech into your pocket. MORE
But Andrew Cunningham watches as A. Fonzerelli jumps a shark:
These performance estimates are pretty vague and [not] from actual benchmarks or apps. [But] if these performance claims are [realistic] ARM is continuing to push...its CPU and GPU designs into the low end of Intel's territory. ... Intel is basically giving [phone and tablet] chips away to gain ground.
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ARM's improvements in performance and power consumption set the pace for...chips [from] Samsung, MediaTek, RockChip [and] the devices they're installed in. MORE
A hungry Mark Hachman munches on the salty chip background:
Every flagship smartphone you buy contains [cores] designed by ARM [which] described what...phones will look like in 2016. ... ARM occupies a unique niche. ... The company doesn’t actually make any products. ... Its designs are licensed to companies [like] Qualcomm, Samsung and others.
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To connect the Internet of Things [it'll] spare the power to...communicate with sensors, smartwatches, and other devices. ... The new Cortex is [a] 64-bit [design, so] it will see a performance boost if paired with [the] 64-bit Lollipop operating system. MORE
So, tell us more about this interconnect thingy, Philip Michaels:
ARM's CoreLink CCI-500...promises double the peak memory...bandwidth with a 30 percent increase in...memory performance [meaning] more responsive user interfaces and accelerated...memory-intensive apps.
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[According to] ARM...increased user expectation for...mobile devices...is driving much of the innovation. ... Users now want deeper, more immersive experiences. ... Here's...hoping this chip can make that a reality. MORE
Meanwhile, tipoo makes the inevitable Apple comparison:
It looks like this will finally trump the A8's single-threaded performance...at lower power draw.
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Single threaded performance is still important. MORE
And Finally…
Those Balls Are Perfect
You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings, who curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don't have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @RiCHi or itbw@richi.uk. Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.
