By Kim Yoo-chul
LG Electronics will produce its first in-house mobile application processor from the latter half of this year after its research lab recently completed the development of Odin chips.
The company's high appetite for chip-related businesses reflect its desperate efforts to find new revenue sources and to challenge Samsung Electronics and Broadcom.
''LG Electronics is going to mass-produce the Odin processors by using finer 28-nanometer level processing, applying high-k metal gate (HKMG) technology. The processors will be used in LG's next flagship Optimus smartphone ― the Optimus GII ― which will probably be unveiled in this fall's IFA trade fair,'' said an LG official by telephone, Thursday.
The advanced chips will have octa-core functionality, meaning the next LG handsets will be speedier and more powerful.
Because LG doesn't have chip-making facilities, Taiwan's TSMC will manufacture the processors, according to the official.
''Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. LG Electronics hopes to make big impact on the global mobile application market,'' the official said.
The Odin processor will feature the architecture of big.LITTLE, developed by British chip designer ARM.
The processing based on big.LITTLE addresses one of today's industry challenges of how to create a system on chip (SoC) that provides both high performance as well as extreme power efficiency to extend battery life
The chips based on such architectural features as two quad-core processor clusters ― one based on A15 cores and the other on A7 cores.
''When you want to do energy-intensive jobs such as graphics work or 3D gaming, then the A15 cores will operate. For Web surfing, the A7 cores will better serve,'' said the official.
Company spokesman G.W. Kim said that the firm is already looking into various chip-related products to strengthen its competitiveness in smartphones.
''CEO Koo Bon-joon is injecting more resources in smartphone-related projects to fully revive the business. LG is striving to transform itself into a major fabless chip-making firm by increasing the number of its qualified chip designers and giving authority to associated divisions,'' said the officials.
Fabless means that the company doesn't have the in-house means to fabricate its own chips, but like Nvidia and its Tegra line of SoCs, relies on a third-party foundry chipmaker.
''We want to be much more independent to have power both in parts and finished-goods like Samsung by improving our in-house chips,'' said the official.
''LG has taken the first big steps toward its aim to become a major and reliable fabless chipmaker by successfully completing the development of Odin processor.''
KB Investment Securities said it could be a sign that LG's big.LITTLE concept will be more than vaporware. ''We still doubt that it will see service in smartphones, but it could be a killer chip for next generation tablets.''
Currently, LG is the only firm using its chips in devices.
LG Electronics will produce its first in-house mobile application processor from the latter half of this year after its research lab recently completed the development of Odin chips.
The company's high appetite for chip-related businesses reflect its desperate efforts to find new revenue sources and to challenge Samsung Electronics and Broadcom.
''LG Electronics is going to mass-produce the Odin processors by using finer 28-nanometer level processing, applying high-k metal gate (HKMG) technology. The processors will be used in LG's next flagship Optimus smartphone ― the Optimus GII ― which will probably be unveiled in this fall's IFA trade fair,'' said an LG official by telephone, Thursday.
The advanced chips will have octa-core functionality, meaning the next LG handsets will be speedier and more powerful.
Because LG doesn't have chip-making facilities, Taiwan's TSMC will manufacture the processors, according to the official.
''Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. LG Electronics hopes to make big impact on the global mobile application market,'' the official said.
The Odin processor will feature the architecture of big.LITTLE, developed by British chip designer ARM.
The processing based on big.LITTLE addresses one of today's industry challenges of how to create a system on chip (SoC) that provides both high performance as well as extreme power efficiency to extend battery life
The chips based on such architectural features as two quad-core processor clusters ― one based on A15 cores and the other on A7 cores.
''When you want to do energy-intensive jobs such as graphics work or 3D gaming, then the A15 cores will operate. For Web surfing, the A7 cores will better serve,'' said the official.
Company spokesman G.W. Kim said that the firm is already looking into various chip-related products to strengthen its competitiveness in smartphones.
''CEO Koo Bon-joon is injecting more resources in smartphone-related projects to fully revive the business. LG is striving to transform itself into a major fabless chip-making firm by increasing the number of its qualified chip designers and giving authority to associated divisions,'' said the officials.
Fabless means that the company doesn't have the in-house means to fabricate its own chips, but like Nvidia and its Tegra line of SoCs, relies on a third-party foundry chipmaker.
''We want to be much more independent to have power both in parts and finished-goods like Samsung by improving our in-house chips,'' said the official.
''LG has taken the first big steps toward its aim to become a major and reliable fabless chipmaker by successfully completing the development of Odin processor.''
KB Investment Securities said it could be a sign that LG's big.LITTLE concept will be more than vaporware. ''We still doubt that it will see service in smartphones, but it could be a killer chip for next generation tablets.''
Currently, LG is the only firm using its chips in devices.
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