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XScale PXA3xx Application Processors Tech Report
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=365&pgno=1
Marvell PXA320
PXA320 Processor Block Diagram
Codenamed Monahan P, the PXA320 is the fastest processor in the PXA3xx family and is designed to power high-end handheld devices like Smartphones, PDAs and even UMPCs.
Built on a 90nm process technology, it has been demonstrated to be capable of running at 1.2GHz at 1.1V. However, Marvell will only be offering this processor in volume with the clock speed of 806MHz.
The processor has a 64KB L1 cache, a 256KB L2 cache and a 32-bit DDR memory interface. The memory controller supports DDR memory of up to 260MHz.
It also comes with a 768KB frame buffer for VGA-quality graphics, a 2D graphics accelerator and hardware video acceleration.
Thanks to its Intel heritage, the PXA320 will feature some key Intel technologies. The first is the Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology which improves the processor's power efficiency to deliver a longer battery life. It also supports Intel's Wireless MMX 2 technology as well as Intel's Enhanced Quick Capture technology which supports camera sensors up to 5 megapixels.
Marvell PXA310
PXA310 Processor Block Diagram
As the mid-range processor in the Marvell PXA3xx series, the PXA310 (codenamed Monahan LV) is targeted at 3G phones and PDAs.
Built on a 90nm process technology, it will be capable of running at up to 624MHz. The processor has a 64KB L1 cache, a 256KB L2 cache and a 32-bit DDR memory interface.
It comes with a 768KB frame buffer for VGA-quality graphics, a 2D graphics accelerator and hardware video acceleration.
The PXA320 will also feature some key Intel technologies like the Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology, Wireless MMX 2 technology and Enhanced Quick Capture technology.
Marvell PXA300
PXA300 Processor Block Diagram
This value-level processor, codenamed Monahan L, is targeted at 2G, 2.5G phones, low-end Smartphones and handheld GPS devices.
Built on a 90nm process technology, it is capable of running at up to 624MHz. This processor has a 64KB L1 cache, a 256KB L2 cache and a 16-bit DDR memory interface.
Because it's targeted at devices with QVGA displays, it will only come with a 256KB frame buffer. It will have a 2D graphics accelerator but no hardware video acceleration.
The PXA320 will feature key Intel technologies like the Wireless Intel SpeedStep technology and Wireless MMX 2 technology but it won't support Intel's Enhanced Quick Capture technology.
PXA320's Key Features and Platform Benifits
* Scalable, general-purpose processing up to 800 MHz, a 256 KB L2 cache, and a 32-bit DDR memory interface for richer end-user applications, such as browsing Web content or streaming video. Extended headroom allows for execution of multiple applications at the same time, which is a key requirement for today’s wireless client devices with advanced capabilities.
* Wireless Intel® SpeedStep® technology with Instruction Power Manager software for MIPS/mW power efficiency, delivering long battery life and enabling consumers to spend more time enjoying the rich features their devices and service providers offer.
* Intel Wireless MMX™ 2 accelerating technology, a 2D graphics accelerator and a 768 KB frame buffer designed to support VGA resolution streaming video, enhances the user’s experience of popular usage models like video playback, video conferencing, camcorder functionality, video telephony, and digital TV.
* An enhanced set of peripherals eases connectivity to technologies like Wi-Fi, WiBro, WiMAX, and Bluetooth v2.0 and Intel’s Enhanced Quick Capture technology supports camera sensors up to 5 megapixels (MP) for a richer camera application.
PXA310 Key Features and Platform Benefits
The PXA310 processor and its derivatives, with stacked NAND flash and mobile DDR memory, extends the PXA3xx processor family with the following features:
* Processing up to 624 MHz for faster end-user experiences, such as rendering rich Web content, and scalable headroom for multitasking with advanced 3G usage models.
* Wireless Intel® SpeedStep® technology for MIPS/mW power efficiency, delivering long battery life.
* Integrated hardware video acceleration and hardware security/DRM processing for VGA video playback and camcorder functionality, video telephony, and digital TV.
* Enhanced peripheral speeds and features, such as support for camera sensors up to 5 megapixels (MP) and Bluetooth v2.0 EDR.
PXA300 Key Features and Platform Benifits
The PXA300 processor and its derivatives, with options for stacked NAND flash and mobile DDR memory, integrate the following features:
* Scalable, general-purpose processing up to 624 MHz with a 16-bit DDR memory interface for a richer end-user experience, such as browsing Web content or streaming video.
* Wireless Intel® SpeedStep® technology with Instruction Power Manager software for MIPS/mW power efficiency, delivering long battery life and enabling consumers to spend more time enjoying the rich features their offered by their devices and service providers.
* Intel Wireless MMX™ 2 accelerating technology, a 2D graphics accelerator and a 256 KB frame buffer designed to support video codecs, enhances the user’s experience of popular usage models like video playback, video conferencing, video telephony, and digital TV.
* An enhanced set of peripherals eases connectivity to technologies like Wi-Fi, WiBro, WiMAX, and Bluetooth v2.0, and Intel’s Enhanced Quick Capture technology supports camera sensors up to 2 megapixels (MP) for a richer camera application.
iPhone yearly sales rate should top 45 million by 2009, says firm
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/07/iphone_yearly_sales_rate_should_top_45_million_by_2009....
CBS, S2, please whip out your calculators for me. Your finance IQs are much higher than mine.
We are at the onset of some guargantuan opps. If you don't like iPhone, go and buy BlackBerry. I seriously doubt that but it doesn't matter for MRVL as it supplies chips to both.
XScale PXA270 520MHz O2 Flame PDA Phone Hands-On Look
http://www.itechnews.net/2007/05/28/o2-flame-pda-phone-hands-on-look/#more-6430
The Flame is the latest PDA phone from O2 running the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 OS.
O2 Flame is powered by an Marvell XScale PXA270 520MHz processor, 2 GB Flash ROM and 128 MB RAM. Flame comes with a 2 Megapixel camera, wIfI 802.11 b/g, a 3.6-inch VGA LCD touchscreen, and the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU. The O2 Flame has built-in FM Tuner, and supports TV-out, and Biz card recognition. As the photos shown, the Flame has a 2 Megapixel camera and a secondary camera.
This article explains why iPhone has 11g Wifi capability
T-Mobile's Wing Phone beats Apple's iPhone to the Wi-Fi punch
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=X3NMZHRS1D1EGQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=19970...
The Wi-Fi capability will let users connect to the Internet for high-speed access. While there are a handful of Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones on the market, mobile phone service providers have been reluctant to market them because they can support free or inexpensive VoIP phone calls.
As the mobile phone market becomes even more competitive, T-Mobile and AT&T are striving to break out from their slower GSM-based infrastructure. They have faster network architectures under development, but Wi-Fi capability gives them a quick fix. Verizon Wireless, Alltel, and Sprint already offer high-speed data access through their advanced CDMA2000 EV-DO service, which is still an expensive option for users.
AT&T unveils advanced handsets... by Samsung, not Apple
[This explains why AT&T delayed the in-progress HSDPA NW upgrade in favor of EDGE for iPhone. Also, this article all but guarantees that iPhone-II will have HSDPA 3-G. One trivial question, what co. is shipping the integrated HSDPA baseband and App processor (single chip)? Moreover, APPL needs to come up w/ a HSDPA 3G phone to keep up w/ BlackBerry 9900/9100 to be shipped late Q4/early Jan 08. Interestingly, both AAPL and Blackberry 8800 current smartphones use Xscale. Their next phones will highly likely use the same Xscale+HSDPA combo from MRVL. This shows how important the roadmap and vendor's ability to deliver it in the selection process.
IMG, this is the beginning of something very big. The misprice will be self-corrected soon beginning tomorrow. BBQ, where does your grill skill stand?]
(06/01/2007 1:44 PM EDT)
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=YGTRI50WFK150QSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=19990....
With the wireless world watching with bated breath for AT&T to unveil pricing and availability for the Apple iPhone, AT&T showed that it isn't entirely obsessed with the Apple handset.
The service provider unveiled two new ultraslim handsets from Samsung Friday.
The handsets come loaded with access to advanced wireless features, including AT&T Mobile Music, Cellular Video, MobiTV, MobiRadio, and Bluetooth technology.
The Samsung SGH a717 clamshell design phone will be available beginning Monday, and the SGH-a727 bar-style phone will be on the market within weeks, according to AT&T and Samsung Telecommunications America. "The a717 and a727 are our slimmest handsets optimized for AT&T's 3G network," said Peter Skarzynski, Samsung VP, in a statement.
The handsets' quad-band GSM technology (1900/850/900/1800 MHz) enables callers to use the phones in more than 190 countries. AT&T said customers on the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands will be able to operate at speeds of 400 to 700 kbps with bursts of more than 1 megabit on AT&T's HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) network.
Both phones require a two-year contract. The a717 will be priced at $149.99, and the a727 at $99.99.
The phones will support AT&T's Video Share service, which allows called subscribers to view one-way streaming video, provided both caller and the receiver of the call are on certain AT&T networks. The service is scheduled to debut this summer.
The phones also contain now-standard features such as digital cameras, instant messaging, and various text-messaging features.
AT&T is the exclusive U.S. provider of Apple's iPhone, which is scheduled to be in users' hands later this month. The iPhone operates on AT&T's Edge network and also has Wi-Fi capability for high-speed data capability.
Real-world iPhone hands-on report surfaces
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/06/iphone.hands.on.surfaces/
BusinessWeek: How Big Will the iPhone Be?
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2007/tc20070606_154290.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+...
Yes, Xscale Roadmap includes integration w/ HSDPA baseband. The combo chip is already shipped. This makes it so compelling. Remember APPL won't commit to a chip without a compelling roadmap. BB9900, 9100 will use the integrated Xscale for app and HSDPA for baseband. The first iPhone supports 2.5G, i.e., EDGE/GSM+11g Wifi. The second gen will be 3G.
MRVL has tremendous integration power in deep submicron.
TI OMAP is for baseband. We knew that Infineon won the baseband.
AT&T Apple iPhone internal memo leak
AT&T Apple iPhone internal talking points
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2007/06/06/att-apple-iphone-internal-talking-points/
iPhone: Europeans Wary of Apple's Attempt to Maintain Network Control
http://ce.seekingalpha.com/article/37489
iPhone to ignite smartphone use, ARM chief says
June 06, 2007 10:32 am ET
http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/06/06/iphonearm/index.php
Steve wouldn't use Sam due to conflict of interest. Sam is the world third largest cellphone OEM. They derive far more rev and earnings from selling cellphones than app processors. Sam wouldn't offer its best app processor to Apple which in turn wouldn't want anything less than the best.
Also, Sam would have to provide SW driver optimized for its processor to Apple against Sam's cell phone.
Apple itself wouln't trust that Sam offer the best processor, SW driver, support. Therein lies conflict of interest. Making a big splash in smartphone for the first time, Apple wants nothing less than perfection.
SJ is a perfectionist.
iPhone competes heads on against Sam's smartphone, pure and simple.
In addition, a winning app processor needs to show a compelling Roadmap for subsequent refreshes. Xscale fits the requirement very well.
S2 said Apple tends to spread the wealth around. Sam is the main Flash supplier to iPhone, that's significant rev already.
Sam itself uses Xscale it its many Mobile window PDA/cellphone combos. HP, RIM, MOT, Palm, O2, Vodafone, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, China, ... ship lots of Xscaled phones.
Action speaks louder than word. This alone rules out Sam in iPhone.
Most if not all investors know that Sam and MRVL are app processor finalists.
By the process of elimination, MRVL is the only option.
S2, I noticed that you drop the prefix "damn" from iPhone. Congrats !! But you haven't sent in the vote for what type of Xscale at what frequency, and the reason why you choose it.
Let's have a vote from everyone.
CBS, as a MRVL shareholder, you have a good incentive to own the iPhone too, both stock and HW.
OK, S2, CBS, fair enough. I know it's like Chinese water torture for you. Let me post some critical public info - very few people know about - that allays your concerns. As a limus test, if you remove the "damn" prefix from iPhone, then I know you are 100% convinced. Please read the following carefully, then let me know right away what series you think will be in the iPhone, 300 or 310 or 320 and the frequency.
What's important is performance per MHz per mW.
Marvell brings former Intel Monahans to market
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196600907
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Marvell Technology Inc. has wasted little time in launching Intel Corp.'s former Monahans application processor as the Marvell PXA 3xx series. By releasing samples of the fastest and highest-performance device, the PXA 320, Marvell hopes to carve out a niche at the higher end of the handset and gaming platform market.
Marvell also intends to offer ICs in the RF/IF chain closest to the handset antenna, although in the near term, the company is partnering with players such as Infineon Technologies AG for reference designs employing baseband and RF functions.
Most PXA customers will use a dual-chip model, where applications and memory reside on the PXA core, with a DSP chip handling baseband and modem functions. A few customers, including Research In Motion for the Blackberry, will use custom single-chip designs in which the PXA core is integrated on the same die with DSP functions. In both versions, RF and analog front-end functions reside on a standalone chip, at least for now.
When Marvell acquired Intel's application processor group in June, Intel could claim only 1 percent of the baseband- processing market, according to Forward Concepts Inc. estimates. But Barry Evans, general manager of the application processor division at Marvell, said his company does not shy away from markets where it holds a minority share. In fact, design wins for the PXA in the handset space should aid Marvell with device concepts for networking, printing and other apps, Evans said.
Power-stingy
The high-end PXA 320 is implemented in an 806-MHz core, while the PXA 300 and 310 are ranked at 624 MHz. A demonstration core implemented in a 90-nanometer pro- cess at 1 GHz was able to operate from a 1.1-volt source, thanks to a software architecture that emphasized power management as well as some native power-limiting features of the original Xscale architecture.
Evans said the processor's ability to keep power dissipation low when stressed with high-performance video processing is an improvement over the previous-generation Bulverde PXA 270. Using Windows Media Video files in QVGA format at 24 frames per second and 384 kbits/s, the 624-MHz PXA 270 dissipated 530 milliwatts, while the PXA 320 operating at the same frequency dissipates 327 mW.
To obtain real-world examples of the improvement in battery time, Marvell developed a reference handset for the PXA 310 and compared it with both a Motorola E680i using the PXA 270 and an NEC 902i using Texas Instruments' Omap2420. All platforms used MontaVista Linux and were normalized to a 900-milliamp battery. MP3 audio playback on the reference was 14.6 hours, compared with 6.9 hours with the older PXA 270 and 7.6 hours with the TI-based NEC handset. Video playback was 7.17 hours on the PXA 310 reference design, compared with 4.5 hours on the Motorola handset using the PXA 270 and 5.5 hours on the TI-based NEC offering.
"This is not just a matter of accelerating video and audio," Evans said. "We were focusing on the mobile Web experience, so we optimized page loading, compression and decompression, and database reads to obtain good speed and power benchmarks across a range of applications."
While the Xscale originally was based on the ARM5, Evans said Intel and Marvel are making continual improvements in the microarchitecture, allowing the Xscale cores to offer scaling better than the ARM11 generation. All three versions of the PXA 3xx family use the Wireless MMX2, or WMMX2, set of single-instruction/multiple-data instructions.
The PXA 300 is a cost-optimized version of the application processor for handsets where lowest bill of materials is a driving factor, such as GSM phones for developing nations. The PXA 310 adds VGA playback and overall performance of 800 Dhrystone Mips, though the frequency of the processor is the same 624 MHz as the PXA 300.
The PXA 320 is the only 806-MHz core in the family. It adds support for Level 2 cache and x 32 DDR memory.
http://www.marvell.com/press/pressNewsDisplay.do?releaseID=680
"Ramping three products in the Marvell PXA3xx family virtually at the same time gives our customers the flexibility to address different markets with an optimized product either for MIPS, video or cost - all with extremely low power consumption. All Marvell PXA3xx products feature frequency scalability to allow the best power and performance."
The first processor in the family to ship in volume is the Marvell PXA320 (Monahans P), delivering the right mix of performance, power and integration levels to meet the needs of feature handsets, advanced smart phones, and a wide array of portable consumer web browsing devices. Demonstrated earlier this year running at 1.2GHz, the Marvell PXA320 is currently shipping in high volume at low-power and is scalable to 806MHz. Customers will be introducing devices based on the Marvell PXA320 in the first quarter of 2007.
The Marvell PXA3xx product family is completely software compatible and includes two pin-compatible components specifically tailored to high volume consumer products such as mobile phones, digital media players, GPS navigation systems, and embedded devices. The Marvell PXA300 (Monahans-L) offers performance and cost optimization for high volume handheld devices while the Marvell PXA310 (Monahan-LV) provides high-resolution VGA multimedia performance with extended battery life for demanding 3G video and audio use. The PXA310 delivers unprecedented 30fps H.264 playback performance at VGA resolutions along with leading edge general purpose processing. Both products deliver "Scalable to 624MHz" performance and are software compatible with Marvell PXA320 processors so that a single software development effort scales across a wide range of devices segments. All products in the family are either shipping in volume or available in samples now, and will be shipping in volume in the first half of 2007.
"The PXA3xx series coupled with our UMTS and 802.11 communications technologies places Marvell at the heart of the mobile market," said Weili Dai, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President and General Manager, Communications and Consumer Business Group at Marvell. "By combining proven Marvell technology with our new applications processors we have the flexibility to address the stringent feature requirements and meet the needs of our target market. This versatile platform strategy combined with unparalleled customer support enables us to address multiple device segments across the mobile phone and consumer handheld market."
"Microsoft is committed to working with partners to provide access to a wide range of innovative and compelling applications, helping Windows Mobile users stay on top of their jobs, stay informed and entertained while on the go," said Scott Phillips, senior product manager, Microsoft Corp. "We're excited to see Marvell bring the PXA3xx family of application processors to the market place and look forward to our continued collaboration."
[This is one of many reasons why Xscale won so many sockets in Windows Mobile devices.]
S2, what you said about large funds was 100% correct. This creates a huge misprice and a tightly wound sledgehammer or a tightly coiled spring effect.
Since you are a better financier than I am, let's ask a hypothetical question. If MRVL stays listed, and X + W + P are indeed on board, my previous rev cal is $721 MM over six qtrs.
That's $120.17 M/qtr at 50%+ GM alone from a single product.
I haven't included XWP revs from other design wins yet such as the hot current and upcoming BlackBerry series, Sam, HP, O2, Vodafone, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile,...
Neither did I for Santa Rosa/Vista huge biz/consumer upgrade cyce which demands more Read channel SoCs, ITM controllers, GiGE, Wifi, wireless routers, 11g/11n access points,...
What do you think MRVL fair stock price will be in the next 3 mos ?
Before 6/29 no one dares teardown the iPhone to report lest APPL sue them. That has happened before, especially iPhone is one of the most hyped and anticipated product launch in the history of mankind. iPhone has such a long incubation period that adds to its mystique plus it has App SW/content/phone to use right away.
Unlike PS3 which hardly has any app SW (good game) to run when it was launched, I expect long lines, and iPhone will be sold out in the first half hour like the Wii.
Actuall, APPL is pretty reasonable when it comes to component pricing if they know a part adds good value. They are not stingy like PC OEMs. Besides APPL can afford to be reasonable as their GM is much higher than anybody else for APPL adds tremendous value in SW, content,... in addition to the HW.
Why does BMW command premium over other cars ?
S2, did you ever work with or for APPL before ? If not, you can ask anyone who ever did. APPL protects its secret with stick and carrot better than KGB or Mosaid thanks to Jobs. He is the greatest marketer the world has ever known. Ever heard of "reality distortion field", "BTW, there is just one more thing", "insanely great" ?
SJ was right on when he said:
Software, Mr. Jobs said last week, is what would make the difference. Poor software, he said, is what undermined the Japanese consumer electronics industry. And by that same token, software is what will give the iPhone what he said would be a five-year lead on the rest of the handset industry.
“If you look at the iPhone, it’s software wrapped in wonderful hardware,” he said.
Contents, applets, ease of use, austere, status symbol (like BMW), cool (like Prius), practical, pleasure, powerful, entertaining, always connected.
The next gen iPhone will have dual screens, one on top, one at bottom - see more to do more - GPS, ...
IMHO, iPhone is years ahead of the closest competitor. In this biz, that's an eternity.
Analyst iSuppli Says iPhone Prices, Demand Will Be High
Demand for iPhone high because it combines the iPod with GSM phone functionality
Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, April 9, 2007
http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6430008.html?ref=nbra
iPhone Cost Breakdown
http://www.isuppli.com/news/default.asp?id=7308
App processor = $18.5
11g+transceivers = $15.35
Pwr mgmt = $2.2
$36.05 per iPhone * (5M '07 + 15M '08) = $721 MM from one single SKUs. This is insanely great !
APPL placed additional order for 5M iPhones w/ Quanta
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/technology/04iphone.html?ex=1196654400&en=90d309f925614741&...
News reports out of Asia in recent weeks indicate that Apple may have placed an order for an additional five million phones with Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese manufacturer that is a leading maker of laptop computers. Another Taiwanese manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Industry, was earlier reported to have been awarded the original order. Apple declines to comment on its plans.
Although a tiny fraction of the global phone industry, a 1 percent market share would make Apple a head-to-head competitor with the high-end version of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, which is used on a number of smartphones.
During the first quarter of 2007 Microsoft’s software was used on about 3.2 million personal digital assistants, or about 60 percent of the market, according to Gartner, the market research firm. Microsoft has come to dominate the market against competitors like Palm, Research In Motion and Symbian, but Apple’s entry is likely to reset the most profitable high end of the handset market.
“It will change the whole category of what people think a phone is,” said Richard Doherty, president of the Envisioneering Group, an industry consulting firm.
To head off potential consumer disappointment, Apple said several months ago that it would have the ability to add features to the iPhones after they were purchased. The company’s executives say that the capability to upgrade the iPhone in the field will give it a significant advantage over other cellphones, which are usually replaced frequently.
A person briefed on Apple’s plans said that at its software developer conference this month, Apple intends to announce that it will make it possible for developers of small programs written for the Macintosh to easily convert them to run on the iPhone.
Software, Mr. Jobs said last week, is what would make the difference. Poor software, he said, is what undermined the Japanese consumer electronics industry. And by that same token, software is what will give the iPhone what he said would be a five-year lead on the rest of the handset industry.
“If you look at the iPhone, it’s software wrapped in wonderful hardware,” he said.
MS is right on. Mark Edelstone's proteges are very good. MRVL is not a tightly coiled spring but a highly wound sledge-hammer. Your patient will be richly rewarded. Mark has left the firm. He is the Ax. But his proteges are up to the task.
BBQ, are you ready to put your BBQ Grill to work on 7/4/07 ? Some great beers would suffice. That week is time to celebrate ! Between now and then you have plenty of time to polish your cooking skill. Don't forget to invite the board.
CBS, You are correct. Computex 2007 trade show in Taiwan.
Computex 2007
June 5 - 8, 2007
Taipei, Taiwan
Grand Hyatt - Lobby Floor
Residence One
Computex Taipei 2007 expected to draw 132,000 visitors
http://digitimes.com/systems/a20070605PD201.html
Your general observation has been rather accurate.
The next two shows will be:
Intel Developer Forum (IDF)
September 18-20, 2007
Moscone West Convention Center
San Francisco, CA
IO/PCI Community Exhibitor
IBC 2007
September 7 - 11, 2007
RAI Convention Centre
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Hall 12P Pavilion
Booth 170
CS: 5M iPhones in 07, 15M in 08
Analyst: AAPL at $140; 5M iPhones in 2007
Tuesday, June 5th
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/06/05/aapl.target.set.at.140/
Credit Suisse analyst Robert Semple on Tuesday raised his target price on Apple Inc from $120 to $140 a share, according to MarketWatch. In a his research note to clients, Semple said he believes that "the iPhone 'will elicit a superior perceived value' compared to other mobile phones due to factors such as its technical superiority and the idea of consumers to own a 'hot product'. Semple estimates that Apple will sell 5 million iPhones in 2007 and 15 million of the devices in 2008. Apple plans to release the iPhone on June 29.
AT&T Ramping EDGE speeds for iPhone?
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/05/att.ramps.edge.for.iphone/
S2, you got the picture. You and Longs will be very happy. Heavy weight analysts (seven figure comp) routinely check biz at contract test, package, assembly houses, and wafer start at fabs to gauge demand upswing. You would have made a good one.
S2, BBQ, I will not let you down. You guys deserve the best. We could have been good friends. It takes a long time to know someone's character and true color. I am not at liberty to elaborate. All the best !
Palm's new pilots: Star power investor team rides new equity trend
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_6063931
[The latest/greatest Palm 755p uses Xscale. I posted this earlier.]
Investment gives Palm another chance at success
EX-APPLE EXECUTIVE JOINS SMART-PHONE MAKER'S BOARD
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_6063929
Rival agrees to buy Solectron
CONTRACT MANUFACTURER TO BE SOLD FOR $3.6 BILLION
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6063898
Cadence would offer buyer steady cash flow
ANALYSTS SPLIT ON LIKELIHOOD OF BUYOUT DEAL
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6063884
Silver Lake, TPG Capital to buy Cisco competitor Avaya for $8.2B
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6064978?nclick_check=1
Private equity firms: Silicon Valley's rich new players
FORMERLY RELUCTANT PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS SHOW INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6063748
S2 and All Longs. Your patient will be richly rewarded. Don't listen to traders on Yahoo. S2 will be proven right. Can you all promise to send congrats to S2 when the dust settles ? He stuck by his conviction and proved his mettle. Newbies, you made the right decision by investing in this stock and showed respects that are so refreshing ... Bullish sentiment and dissenting voices should be treated with equal respect if they prove their merit.
You shouldn't invest in a stock without doing tons of research.
I am very comfortable with MRVL. It will rocket.
Keep on posting! Every investment will astonish you!
As trivial questions for newbies,
What is significant about 6/28/07 ?
What about the day after ?
What about 7/2/07 ?
What is 7/4/07 ?
Nasd Deadline is 6/28/07
http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/fetchFilingFrameset.aspx?dcn=0001104659-07-024914&Type=HTML
Timely filing of periodic reports with the SEC is a requirement for continued listing of our shares on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The NASDAQ Stock Market’s Listing Qualifications Panel determined that the continued listing of our shares was contingent on filing our delayed Forms 10-Q and 10-K by March 7, 2007. We appealed the Panel’s decision to the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council, which stayed the Panel’s decision pending further action and set a deadline of March 30, 2007 for us to submit to the Listing Council materials, other than those publicly filed, for the Listing Council’s consideration. We do not know when the Listing Council may take any further action regarding its stay. Even if the Listing Council decides to continue its stay of the Panel’s determination and our shares continue to be listed, we will still have to file our delayed Forms 10-Q and 10-K and otherwise meet NASDAQ’s listing requirements by June 28, 2007 or face delisting. The Listing Council could also choose to require us to regain compliance by a date earlier than June 28, but it cannot extend the June 28 deadline.
We have to complete our internal review relating to our historical stock option practices and related accounting matters and the restatement of our financial statements before we can file our delayed Forms 10-Q and 10-K.
There might be something going on re: LBO
The on/off rumor about PALM has materialized. CDN was rumored, now it looks like they have been in talk. I wouldn't be suprised if MRVL is partially or wholy acquired. The MRVL spike-up on Fri was due to LBO chatters. IMHO, mgmt has been real quiet ... Merc Interactive was acquired by HP during option probe. So was FLSH by SNDK.
MRVL is too cheap to pass up considering it is on the verge of major product upgrade cycle and has been cash flow positive. The Nasd compliance might become a moot point. June promises to be an interesting month.
Disclaimer: Do your own DD. Don't believe in any rumor or anything I said.
Private equity firms eye tech sector
SUNNYVALE'S PALM MAKES DEAL; S.J.'S CADENCE IN TALKS
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_6055884
By Andrew Ross Sorkin, John Markoffand Michael J. de la Merced
New York Times
Article Launched: 06/04/2007 01:30:47 AM PDT
Signaling growing interest by private equity firms in the risky technology sector, Palm, the struggling Sunnyvale smart-phone maker, reached a deal Sunday to sell a quarter of the company to Elevation Partners for about $325 million as part of a plan to reorganize the company, according to people involved in the negotiations.
And Cadence Design Systems, a San Jose maker of the software used to design computer chips, is in talks with at least two buyout firms about a possible sale of the company, two people close to the matter said Sunday.
Buyout firms have avoided the technology sector because of its volatility and need for capital. As buyout firms have grown bolder and more flush with cash, they may be betting that they still can wring out lucrative returns.
A deal for Cadence would be one of the biggest moves by private equity firms into technology. The San Jose company, which has a stock-market value of about $6.4 billion, has held talks with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Blackstone Group, and other suitors may emerge, sources said. But they warned that a deal may not happen because of the complicated risks in the company's business. Other private equity firms took a look at Cadence but passed.
Palm, for its part, held preliminary talks with several rivals, including Motorola and Nokia, and private equity firms including Silver Lake Partners and the Texas Pacific Group, but none was willing to buy out the entire company amid such uncertainty about its future, sources said.
The transaction with Elevation gives Palm an important cash infusion and also some experienced advisers. The deal is Elevation's largest.
Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple executive who ran its iPod division, is planning to join Palm as executive chairman as part of the transaction. In addition, Fred Anderson, a former chief financial officer at Apple, and Roger McNamee, a co-founder of Silver Lake Partners, both of whom are managing directors at Elevation, would join Palm's board.
The deal is subject to shareholder approval. If completed, Chairman Eric Benhamou and board member D. Scott Mercer would step down to make room for Anderson and McNamee.
The deal, which is expected to be announced today, includes a plan to pay out about $940 million in dividends to owners of Palm stock, worth $9 a share each, sources said.
Palm, which had revenue of about $1.6 billion in its most recent fiscal year, faces growing competition from rivals such as Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry, and Apple, which will soon enter the cellular phone market with its highly anticipated iPhone.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Blackstone have invested in technology companies before - most recently, Kohlberg bought First Data and Blackstone purchased Freescale Semiconductor - but private equity has rarely approached a company as steeped in the arcana of technology as Cadence, which had revenue of about $1.5 billion in 2006.
Founded in 1983, Cadence has since become one of the largest makers of chip-design software, partly through a string of acquisitions. Since 2004, it has bought four companies, including software developer Verisity in a $315 million deal. It has also invested heavily in other Silicon Valley companies. In 2006, it spent $1 billion in stock buybacks.
Representatives for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Blackstone and Cadence declined to comment.
Cadence is regarded as one of the most innovative chip software makers. This year, the company said it would introduce a new approach to chip-making design, one that lays wires diagonally as well as horizontally and vertically. The new process would make its designs faster and more efficient, the company has said.
Apple officially sets iPhone debut for June 29
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9022900&in....
O2 XDA Atom Life (3G & HSDPA)- Atomic Powers on Your Hands
http://www.hardwarezone.com/news/view.php?id=6649&cid=9
While the main focus of new phones recently released by O2 were designed for those requiring email and other business oriented applications on the go, one model with a slightly different disposition is the XDA Atom Life. More of a portable multimedia handset, the Atom Life boasts a fast Marvell XScale PXA 270 processor that runs at a staggering clock speed of 624MHz. Besides this astonishing jump in processing power, the Atom Life also comes with a massive 1GB flash memory that is more than sufficient for you to install and store a host of applications, music and video files before you even consider purchasing additional memory card.
Closing thoughts
Looking at its list of hardware that includes A2DP Bluetooth support, Wi-Fi, 3G and HSDPA connectivity, and software it packs, the XDA Atom Life is very loaded to say the least. Yet, it is packaged and delivered to you in the same handy form that has won hearts the world over. Battery life was also good, delighting us for nearly three full days. That said, you can expect it to command a high asking price of about US$910. As it is right now, the XDA Atom Life is easily one, if not the best PDA phone that you can buy.
Comparing Xscaled PDA-phones, Hybrid phones, Smart phones
You can compare up to 3 products at a time here:
http://www.seeo2.com/product/template/ProductCompareSelect.vm
http://www.seeo2.com/product/template/ProductCompareResult.vm
Their features - side by side
Here are the key features of your selected products. To compare different products, select Start-over.
Product names: Xda Atom Life, Xda Stealth, Graphite
Dimensions: • 106(L) x 58(W) x 18(T) mm
• 145g • 110(L) x 53(W) x 22.5(T) mm
• 140g • 109.5(L) x 46.9(W) x 18(T) mm
• 105g
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0 Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0 Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0 (Smartphone Edition)
Processor: MRVL XScale® PXA 270 Processor at 624 MHz, XScale® PXA272 Processor at 416 MHz, XScale® PXA 270 Processor at 416 MHz (app processor) + Hermon (PXA9xx baseband)
Memory: • 1 GB Flash ROM
• 64 MB RAM
• miniSD expandable memory • 192 MB Flash ROM
• 64 MB SD RAM
• miniSD expandable memory • 128 MB Flash ROM
• 64 MB RAM
• microSD expandable memory
Display: • 2.7" TFT QVGA LCD display with touch panel
• 240 x 320 dots resolution
• Supports 262K colours (65,536 effective) • 2.4" TFT LCD display with touch panel
• 240 x 320 dots resolution
• 65K colour • 2.2" TFT LCD display
• 240 x 320 dots resolution
• 65K colour
Connectivity: • Built-in Wireless LAN 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth® SIG version 1.2 • Built-in Wireless LAN 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth® SIG version 1.2 compliant • Built-in Wireless LAN 802.11b+g
• Bluetooth® SIG version 2.0 compliant
Network Frequency: • Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900
• UMTS 1900/2100
• EGPRS (EDGE)
• HSDPA • GSM 900
• GSM 1800
• GSM 1900 • GSM 900
• GSM 1800
• GSM 1900
• WCDMA 2100
Camera: • 2 Megapixels CMOS Macro-focus camera
• Secondary VGA CMOS camera for video calls • Colour 2 Megapixels CMOS camera with auto focus • 2 Megapixels CMOS Fixed-focus camera
• Secondary VGA camera for video calls
Audio: • Speakerphone
• Stereo speaker
• SRS WOW HD (surround sound experience)
• FM Radio with RDS function • Speakerphone
• Audio recorder
• Playback support: MIDI, MP3, WMA, WAV, AMR, AAC, AAC+ • Speakerphone
• Stereo speaker
• Playback support: MIDI, MP3, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, AAC
624MHz Xscale O2 Xda Atom Life Review
The good: Stylish design; 1GB flash memory; faster processor compared with the Atom Exec; plentiful connectivity features including 3G and HSDPA; proprietary software that enhances user experience.
The bad: Fingerprint magnet; sub-par audio quality; difficult to feel buttons on the sides; narrow viewing angle on LCD.
The bottom line: The Xda Atom Life is one of the most full-featured handhelds we've come across, but it does come with a premium price tag.
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handhelds/0,39001708,40031860p,00.htm
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handhelds/0,39001708,40031860p-2,00.htm
Reviewed By Damian Koh
(10/2/2007)
The Xda Atom, Atom Pure and Atom Exec have been charmers and, if you ask us, a handheld that looks good is already half the battle won. With the Atom Life, a faster processor, a generous 1GB onboard memory and loads of connectivity features such as 3G and HSDPA (3.5G) completes the equation.
[They are all Xscale-based.]
The Atom Life runs on the Marvell XScale processor at 624MHz, inching it ahead of the comparatively slower 520MHz Atom Exec. While you cannot specify what speed the processor should run at, you can select for better performance or power in the CPU profile. Flash memory also got a generous five-fold increase from 192MB to 1GB on the Atom Life--that's about 250 MP3 tracks of 4MB each for your daily dose of music.
Connectivity-wise, the triband (900/1800/1900MHz) Atom Life is a bundle of joy. There's 3G and HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access) which is capable of reaching claimed speeds of up to 3.6Mbps. The catch is you'll have to subscribe to a data plan with your local telco. Alternatively, you can tap on Wi-Fi networks via the wireless manager if you're near a hotspot. The thing about hotspots is they are usually detected only within a certain perimeter and, once you're out of the zone, the signals drop and the handheld will automatically try to connect to a GPRS network instead. If you're browsing graphics-intensive sites, be prepared to wait slightly for the pages to load.
624MHz XScale Socket SoMo 65 Pocket PC for Business Class
http://www.cellphonenews.biz/2007/03/index.html
Socket SoMo 65 Pocket PC for Business Class
It would be eassier for you to make business decisions more instantly with the new SoMo 65 cellphone, designed by Socket Communications. The phone is a genuine business class pocket PC and is specifically designed to make business mobile productivity solutions achievable and reasonable. This robust exterior pocket PC is built on Windows Mobile 5 OS that sports 624MHz XScale processor, 128MB of system memory, 256MB of internal flash memory, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Onboard Bluetooth 2.0,1.3 MP Digital Camera, CompactFlash, SDIO card slots and an outsized SVGA touchscreen display. Will hit the market in April and it will cost US$648.
March 21, 2007
520 MHz XScale PXA270 IWave System’s IW-Rugged-PDA Can Survive in Harsh Environment
Vishal, Solan, INDIA
May 10 2007, 9:12 am GMT
http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/iwave-systemss-iw-rugged-pda-can-survive-in-harsh-environment/
iWave systems have designed a PDA based on Windows CE and/or Linux reference design specifically for military and harsh conditions. It runs on a 520 MHz XScale PXA270 processor and has a 128 MB of SDRAM, 32 MB of NOR flash, and 512 MB of NAND flash storage memory that makes it quiet fast in processing.
The device has a 3.5-inch touchscreen QVGA LCD that is fairly good to view any thing conveniently. The Device can be readily connected to other compatible devices using various ports like USB 1.1 host and device ports, two serial ports. A built in microphone will let you hear the music and if you want more sound you can use the audio out function. It also features SDIO 802.11b WiFi and GPS support.
PXA272 416MHz HP iPAQ hw6965 MOBILE MESSENGER
http://www.sensible.com.au/Hardware.html
HP iPAQ Pocket PC hx2750 - Windows Mobile 2003 SE - PXA270 624 MHz - RAM: 128 MB - ROM: 128 MB 3.5" TFT ( 240 x 320 ) - fingerprint - IrDA, Bluetooth, 802.11b
by Hewlett-Packard
http://www.ciao.co.uk/HP_iPAQ_Pocket_PC_Hx2750__5816496
HP iPAQ Pocket PC Hx2490
64 MB RAM - 3.5 in - TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale 520MHz PXA270 - Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, IrDA - Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Premium Edition
http://www.ciao.co.uk/HP_iPAQ_Pocket_PC_Hx2490__6375147