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TI Boosts Wireless Chipset Portfolio



RELATED SYMBOLS: (TXN)

Feb 3, 2003 (NewsFactor.com via COMTEX) -- Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) has
unveiled a handful of new wireless chipsets, promising improved performance
among its industry-leading power plants for mobile phones , PDAs and other
devices running on advanced wireless networks.

TI said the five new chipsets, based on its OMAP (open multimedia applications
protocol) wireless technology , add on-chip security; boost processing speed
eightfold for such applications as graphics, multimedia content and Java ; and
significantly reduce standby power drain.

Eye on 3G

The chipmaker also launched an integrated, dual-mode chipset and reference
design for third-generation (3G) wireless devices. The dual modes are GSM/GPRS
and WCDMA -- that is, global system for mobile communications/general packet
radio service and wideband code division multiple access. The chipset will
operate on the forthcoming 3G network standard known as UMTS, or universal
mobile telecommunications system.

The most noteworthy improvements with these new wireless technologies are
integration in applications and power management, as well as integration in the
RF (radio frequency) space, Jim Koutras, TI's marketing manager for 3G wireless
chipsets, told NewsFactor.

For mobile device manufacturers, that means more attractive 2.5G and 3G
applications -- such as videoconferencing, interactive gaming and speech
processing -- and smaller and more power-efficient models.

Targeting Converged Devices

"We are making it easier for applications developers working on 2G and 3G
applications, and we have produced a single chip with both a WCDMA and a
GSM/GPRS transceiver," he said.

The new OMAP chipsets are the first processors to feature wireless built-in
security hardware and power management that offers an "extreme deep sleep mode,"
which reduces power consumption as much as 10 times more than existing
technologies.

Koutros said the new chipset technology is aimed primarily at the PDA and
converged voice/data device, or smartphone , market. He noted that OMAP already
has a gained a foothold among device manufacturers, such as Palm (Nasdaq: PALM)
and HP.

Ahead of the Curve

Aberdeen Group analyst Isaac Ro supported that claim, telling NewsFactor that TI
is ahead of the curve in developing chipsets for mobile devices. "They have the
best of what's out there," he said, pointing out that OMAP technology is used in
the Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) SPV smartphone currently available in the United
Kingdom, as well as in the Palm Tungsten T and HP JornHP Jornada handhelds.

"Manufacturers will see the value of these new processors, because they all want
to upgrade the performance of their devices," said Ro. "Boosting battery life
and providing more power for applications will be critical as new networks are
launched."

The impact of TI's new chipsets on cell phones will be minimal, Ro said, as most
of the major manufacturers, such as Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Motorola (NYSE: MOT) ,
use their own chipset designs. "But on the PDA side, the list of products using
this technology can be expected to grow," he said.

Timing Is Right

All five new processors should be available in quantity by the end of the year.
"We think the timing is right. There should be a significant takeup of UMTS by
2004" led by a few pioneers such as T-Mobile , which will roll out the networks
later this year, Koutras said.

The latest developments represent the convergence of two TI strategies, Koutras
added: the OMAP open applications platform and 3G networks. "Combining our radio
technology with applications processing is a significant step forward."



By Jay Wrolstad
URL: http://www.ti.com
http://www.palm.com/
http://www.aberdeen.com/
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.nokia.com
http://www.motorola.com
http://www.tmobile.com/

Copyright (C) 2003, NewsFactor Network. All rights reserved

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