Less than a year ago we started talking about the benefits of FD-SOI technology for mobile platforms and today we announced our first product based on STMicroelectronics’ 28nm FD-SOI process technology: the NovaThor™ L8580 ModAp. The next-generation NovaThor L8580 incorporates our first eQuad processor and leverages FD-SOI process technology to deliver breakthrough speeds and improvements in power consumption resulting in the world’s fastest and coolest integrated LTE smartphone platform.
About eQuad and FD-SOI technology
In general, our eQuad technology is a CPU architecture in which each processor core can operate either as an industry-leading high performance core or as a very low power core. With eQuad, we have chosen to innovate where it most benefits the user by making real world applications run significantly faster while at the same time ensuring ultra-low power consumption for devices that run cooler and last longer.
The L8580 features an eQuad 2.5GHz processor based on ARM Cortex-A9, a powerful Imagination PowerVR™ SGX544 GPU running at 600Mhz and an advanced multimode LTE category 4 modem. The result: a faster and cooler experience for today’s applications.
Building on the NovaThor L8540, our previous generation LTE ModAp, the NovaThor L8580 highlights the advantages of FD-SOI technology combined with innovative techniques to increase performance and conserve power. Specifically, the NovaThor L8580 has CPUs that are 35% faster while GPU and multimedia accelerators run 20% faster; runs cooler when delivering high performance, consuming up to 50% less power than rival architectures; and offers a low power mode can deliver up to 5000 DMIPS at 0.6V – more than enough computing power for the majority of applications in everyday use.
With the NovaThor L8580, ST-Ericsson is continuing innovate and bring new technology the mobile industry – leading the charge for technology evolution in the wireless market.
Multiband cellular and Connectivity included
The NovaThor L8580 supports up to ten LTE/HSPA/TD-SCDMA/GSM bands and integrates an advanced next-generation multimode LTE modem. The complete platform also includes a full connectivity suite: Bluetooth, GNSS (GPS + GLONASS), FM, WLAN, WiFi Direct, Miracast and NFC. And with ST-Ericsson’s connectivity solutions, CG2905 and CW1260, the platform is optimized for wireless radio co-existence and low power consumption.
The NovaThor L8580 will be sampling with customers this quarter.