MURMER GADGET

Communications chip maker Broadcom announced a first of its kind 5G WiFi Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system-on-a-chip that will bring faster 802.11ac connectivity with 2x2 MIMO to mobile devices. The Broadcom BCM4354 chip  is the first to implement 2×2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) on a smartphone, bringing up to twice the Wi-Fi performance with 25 percent more power efficiency than the current 1x1 MIMO chips. Consumers expect a fast, always-on smartphone experience. Performance however can be degraded by many factors including how a phone is held or positioned. In the past, MIMO systems have solved these problems on tablets and larger devices by using multiple antennas. With Broadcom’s advanced antenna and PHY design, the BCM4354 can now deliver the benefits of 5G WiFi 2×2 MIMO to smaller platform designs like smartphones while reducing implementation complexity for designers. This achievement enables the industry’s first practical implementation of 2×2 MIMO on ...

At its media event introducing the new iPhones earlier this month, Apple highlighted several chip innovations included on the iPhone 5s including a new A7 main chip with one billion transistors and a smaller M7 "motion coprocessor" designed to efficiently measure accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass data and thus allow for enhanced fitness tracking , navigation, and more. Chipworks and iFixit have now posted a teardown revealing whats inside these chips, as well as several other components of the iPhone 5s, offering an interesting first glimpse at these components at the heart of the device. In looking at the A7, Chipworks noted that it is indeed manufactured by Samsung using its 28-nm process node. Apple has been seeking to shift its A-series chip production from Samsung to TSMC, but TSMCs chip production will reportedly not start until early 2014. Gate pitch comparison of A7 and A6 (click for larger) For the A7, Apple and Samsung have reduced spacing between transistors ...

Last week a report from Taiwans Commercial Times picked up by AFP claimed that Apple new chip partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has begun production on the next-generation A8 chip destined for the iPhone 6 later this year. The worlds leading contract microchip maker last month started producing the A8 chip, which is tipped to power the expected iPhone 6, the Commercial Times reported. The report, which cited supply chain sources, said TSMC had won most of the manufacturing orders for logic and power management integrated chips for the new handset. The Apple A8 will reportedly be manufactured using the 20 nanometer and will include a quad-core 64-bit processor, also quad core graphics. An earlier start to chips production could give Apple the flexibility to comfortably launch the new iPhone in the third quarter of this year contrary to the previous years. Usually in the past Samsung is the sole Apples manufacturing partner for A-series chips, but Apple has lo...

At an event today in Beijing, Huawei officially unveiled the Honor 6 Extreme Edition packing the companys latest Kirin 928 chipset. Its comprised of an 2GHz octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and Mali T628MP4 GPU. Were yet to see how much faster the Kirin 928 is compared to the Kirin 920 found in the Honor 6. Visually, the phone retains the exterior of its predecessor and keeps the 5" 1080p display. The phone runs the latest Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box and offers LTE-A Cat.6 for the networks that support it. Internal storage is 32GB and is expandable via the microSD card slot (up to 128GB). At the back, theres a 13MP snapper teamed up with a 5MP front-facing shooter. Under the non-removable back cover sits the same 3,100mAh battery as on the original Honor 6. The company is also launching a bunch of accessories for the Honor 6 Extreme Edition. Expect specially designed headphones, a 0.2mm tempered glass screen protector, 2 NFC tags and a limited edition "Road and force" pro...