EE Times Under the Hood - June 23, 2008 - (Page U16)

UTH0623MOBILE_PG14_24.QXD 6/10/08 3:43 PM Page 16 under the hood: w w w. e e t i m e s . c o m MOB I L E more functionality into its baseband processors, more associated chips can be removed from the board, freeing up space, reducing the bill of materials and creating a moreefficient design. The Qualcomm MSM6250, used in the Universal, had limited functionality for supporting anything beyond the baseband features. To compensate for this, HTC designed in the Intel (now Marvell) PXA270 for applications processing. In the TyTN, Qualcomm’s MSM6275 had more functionality, but there were also more requirements for multimedia applications, so two additional processors—the Samsung SC32442 and AMD Imageon 2282—were included. The result was a duplication of some functions, such as image processing, which all three components offered. The new TyTN 2 uses the Qualcomm MSM7200, which is part of the company’s convergence platform family. The device enables all of the functionality required without the need for any additional applications processors. While HTC looked to Qualcomm for baseband and applications support, Nokia turned to TI. For the baseband, Nokia and TI worked together to develop Nokia-packaged, TI-die-marked solutions. For the applications processors, Nokia used the TI Omap family, migrating from the Omap1710 in the N90 to the Omap2420 in the N93 and new N95. While both Omap devices were designed in a 90-nm process, the 2420 offered a significant functionality improvement. Its ARM core was upgraded from an ARM9 to an ARM11, and power-management practices were put in place to shut down inactive sections of the die and conserve battery life. Future smart phones must, of course, take cost and weight into consideration, despite bulking up on features. We expect much of the future market to be addressed by devices that weigh less than 150 grams, are less than 15-mm thick and bear a manufacturing cost of less than $200. ■ • w w w. t e c h o n l i n e . c o m meet users’ size and weight expectations. HTC has consistently reduced the number of packaged devices used, while increasing the number of dice per package. This enables a very efficient design with little duplication in on-chip functionality. Nokia, meanwhile, has been increasing the number of chips per phone, delivering a very effective design. Nokia can leverage economies of scale, so that while the number of chips rises, the company is still able to reduce the bill-of-materials cost, engaging in a strategy of incrementalism to maintain common devices across many platforms and adding new functions through bolt-on features and devices. One interesting aspect demonstrated by both companies has been an overall loyalty to chip vendors. For example, the three generations of HTC phones analyzed all had basebands from Qualcomm, Bluetooth support from Texas Instruments and NAND flash from Samsung. For Nokia, TI provided the applications processors and Samsung the memory. The only substantial company change came when TI got displaced by Cambridge Silicon Radio for the Bluetooth functionality, which is interesting given the strong relationship Nokia and TI have developed over the years, including creating devices together. Not only have the phones evolved over time, but so have the chips. The flash memory used by HTC demonstrates this evolution. While the die size has remained relatively consis- IN BRIEF Over the years, cell phone technology has come a long way, as have two of the major players in the market: Nokia and HTC. While coming from different backgrounds—HTC from a PDA standpoint and Nokia from a cell phone angle—both companies have delivered their latest generation of smart phones with similar features and form factors to meet consumer needs, including Bluetooth, HSDPA,Wi-Fi and GPS. HTC has an edge in terms of display size, battery and user interface, while Nokia offers a better weight, camera resolution and user storage capacity. tent, at about 140 mm2, the density has increased considerably. The Samsung memory used in the company’s Universal product had a 256-Mbit capacity and was designed into a 160-nanometer process lithography for a 1.8-Mbit/mm2 rating. The TyTN used a 120-nm, 1-Gbit Samsung flash with a 7.6-Mbit/mm2 rating. The latest HTC phone, the TyTN 2, again used Samsung memory, but this time it was created with a 90-nm process and offered a 2-Gbit capacity, resulting in a 14.2Mbit/mm2 rating. This evolution is a stark example of how semiconductor manufacturers are helping advance capability without affecting form factor. Another chip development over the years has come from Qualcomm. As that company has integrated Component focus Interestingly, both Nokia and HTC have maintained strong relationships with their component partners.While their devices have evolved, the vendors have remained consistent. In its three previous generations, HTC has used basebands from Qualcomm, Bluetooth support from Texas Instruments and NAND flash from Samsung. For Nokia’s models,TI has provided the applications processors, while Samsung provided the memory solutions. HTC has created a very efficient design, reducing the number of chips by having more integrated content. Nokia has leveraged economies of scale to reduce the bill-of-materials cost of its devices. 16 Electronic Engineering Times, TechOnline | June 23, 2008 http://www.eetimes.com http://www.techonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Under the Hood - June 23, 2008

Under the Hood - June 23, 2008 Extreme Design: SuitSat Pushes Desigers' Limits Evolution of the Smart Phone Mature Devices get Rolly Rocking GPS: Garmin Nuvi 750 vs. HP iPaq 310 Inside the Sony OLED TV Multizone Dgital Audio Flip Ultra Camcorder - An Ode to Clean Design Robot Guitar Tunes Itself E-book is a Sight for Sore Eyes Scientific Calculator Boils Down to Two ICs $100 BOM Eludes First OLPC Laptop 45 nm: What Intel Didn't Tell You Next Step in NAND Flash Evolution Surveillance on a Shoestring Hot 3G Phone Owes Debt to Analog SecurID Fob: Single-Chip Safety Net

Under the Hood - June 23, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.