Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced a next-gen, 28 nanometer OMAP 5 mobile processor that could help redefine the current smartphone and tablet paradigm.
The new OMAP 5 boasts up to 3x processing performance and five-fold 3D graphics improvement, while offering a 60 percent power reduction compared to the OMAP 4.
“The OMAP 5 processor leverages two ARM Cortex-A15 MPCores – the most advanced ARM architecture to date – capable of speeds of up to 2 GHz per core,” explained TI VP Remi El-Ouazzane.
“With a 50 percent boost in performance over the Cortex-A9 core (at the same clock frequency), combined with up to 8GB of dynamic memory access and hardware virtualization support, the Cortex-A15 core can enable true mobile computing experiences.”
According to El-Ouazzane, the OMAP 5 will allow users to carry a single (mobile) device that provides PC-like computing performance with mobile power sipping levels.
“Imagine using the same device to conduct a stereoscopic 3D (S3D) video conference for work. Imagine being in a meeting and projecting a document from this device, which you can edit by simply touching the projected image on a surface.
“Imagine going home and switching the device to your personal operating system to drive a next-generation game on your HDTV using wireless display technology.”
TI’s OMAP 5 platform is expected to sample in the second half of 2011, with devices slated to hit the market during the second half of 2012.
Additional specs include:
- Dedicated engines for video, imaging/vision, DSP, 3D graphics, 2D graphics, display and security.
- Two ARM Cortex-M4 processors for offloading real-time processing from the Cortex-A15 cores.
- Facilitates gesturing, proximity sensing, interactive projection and computational photography.
- Supports up to four cameras in parallel, as well as recording and playing back S3D video in 1080p quality, while performing real-time conversion of 2D content to S3D at 1080p resolution.
- Delivers advanced short- and long-range gesturing applications, as well as full-body and multi-body interactive gestures, utilizing either 2D or S3D cameras.
- Supports interactive projection apps where the user “touches and drags” projected images on both a table top or wall.
