Broadcom's New Smartphone Chip Delivers Android™ with Advanced Graphics at an Affordable Price Point

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new 3G baseband processor that integrates a powerful ARM Cortex™ A9 processor with high-end 3D graphics support and advanced processing for mass-market Android™ handsets. Manufactured in the advanced 40 nanometer (40nm) CMOS process, the new Broadcom® BCM21654 HSPA processor provides mainstream smartphones with superior graphics and user interface performance that rivals high-end devices. It also includes built-in support for Android 2.3 and future releases.

A complete Android smartphone platform solution is available by combining the BCM21654 baseband processor with other Broadcom products, including:

• The BCM2091 radio frequency (RF) IC,
• The BCM59039 advanced power management unit (PMU) with charger and audio support, and
• a full complement of Broadcom's world-class connectivity devices, including the BCM4329 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/FM combo chip and the recently announced BCM47511 GPS chip with GPS + GLONASS support.

This powerful processor is the first to bring Cortex A9 processing power and extensive connectivity support into low cost 3G Android handsets.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The same features that have made high-end smartphones widely popular are also driving demand for a more affordable tier of handsets with similar capabilities. Features such as the ability to run apps, view and share media, and enjoy a dynamic touch-screen experience are now required at lower price points.
  • This new baseband platform will enable handsets that satisfy a broader consumer demand for smartphones, with lower smartphone price points that will help drive increased data plan subscribers while enabling growth in data traffic and ARPU (average revenue per user) among cellular operators.
  • Building on the industry leading capabilities of the BCM21553 baseband, the BCM21654 brings even more powerful performance to the mainstream of the smartphone segment.
• The Broadcom BCM21654 baseband processor for Android smartphones includes the following advanced features:
  • Best-in-class ARM Cortex A9 processor for superior applications processing and advanced user interface support along with an ARM Cortex R4 communications processor.
  • An integrated 3G HSPA modem that supports 7.2 Megabits per second (Mbps) of downstream connectivity, 5.8 Mbps upstream, as well as Class 32 EDGE support for greater flexibility and worldwide roaming.
  • Dual-SIM capabilities that allow consumers to use the same handset for two different phone numbers or accounts, enabling applications such as access to work and personal cellular calls with one handset.
  • The popular VideoCore® IV mobile multimedia processor core that delivers high-end smartphone capabilities:
    • 30 frames per second (fps) of playback and supports full-rate video standards such as H.264 at high-quality VGA resolution
    • An industry leading 3D graphics engine that enables up to 20 million triangles per second
    • A 12 megapixel (JPEG) camera
    • Support for 16 million colors, up to WVGA, and dual-displays
  • Broadcom's complete connectivity suite that features industry-leading Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS solutions, all supported by InConcert® technology that makes these various radio technologies work better together and with less interference.

Supporting Quotes:

Rafael Sotomayor, Marketing Vice President, Broadcom's Mobile Baseband Line of Business:

"With consumers increasingly seeking out affordable handsets that deliver the optimal smartphone experience, Broadcom is packing more processing power into its baseband system-on-a-chip processor solutions to meet this need. Our new Android smartphone processor will enable top-tier graphics and faster user interface performance at mass market price points that will help to drive adoption of this platform."

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About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications.  Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment.  We provide the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices.  These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything® .

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies, with 2010 revenue of $6.82 billion, holds more than 4,800 U.S. and 2,000 foreign patents, and has more than 7,800 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe.  Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change.  Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words.  Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the demand for advanced graphics and high performance applications processing for Android smartphone applications, our position in those markets, and the timing of volume production for Broadcom's new BCM21654 Android smartphone processor.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with its new BCM21654 Android smartphone processor include, but are not limited to:

• the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's products and technologies in the HSDPA Android space;
• trends in mobile markets in various geographic regions, including seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are incorporated;
• the gain or loss of a key customer, design win or order;
• the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; and
• competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products.

Additional factors that may cause Broadcom's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the list that can be found at http://www.broadcom.com/press/additional_risk_factors/Q12011.php.  

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.  The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom® , the pulse logo, Connecting everything® , the Connecting everything logo, InConcert® and VideoCore® are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU.  Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless