Broadcom Announces Smartphone Baseband Chip with HSPA+ Cellular Modem and Merlyn™ Applications Processor Capable of 1080p Video and Graphics

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced a new baseband processor for affordable and high performance smartphones. The new BCM28150 HSPA+ baseband integrates a Broadcom® Merlyn™ applications processor with the latest VideoCore® IV mobile multimedia/graphics technology. This new baseband offers customers one of the highest performance, smallest footprint size and lowest power smartphone solutions available for Android™ and other open operating systems.

Broadcom's new Merlyn applications processor technology is integrated into the BCM28150.  Merlyn processors combine ARM Cortex A9 class processors with Broadcom's high performance low latency bus architecture and world class multimedia to create a scalable processing engine for all future Broadcom basebands targeted at smartphone applications.

The accompanying reference platform includes the 40 nanometer (40nm) BCM28150 HSPA+ system-on-a-chip (SoC) smartphone processer, the BCM2091 radio frequency IC, the BCM59056 advanced power management unit (PMU) with charger and audio support, and a full complement of Broadcom's world-class connectivity technologies. Broadcom will be demonstrating its new BCM28150 smartphone processor reference design at next week's 2011 Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain, from February 14th through February 17th.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The BCM28150 HSPA+ baseband processor integrates the Broadcom Merlyn applications processor technology, providing an optimal combination of high performance and low power applications and multimedia processing power for smartphones. Key features of the BCM28150 SoC include:
  • Dual ARM Cortex™ A9 cores at 1.1 GHz frequencies that incorporate the ARM Neon™ 128-bit SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) engine, which is vitally important for delivering flexible, powerful acceleration and low power operation for consumer multimedia applications such as Adobe® Flash®.  
  • An integrated HSPA+ release 8 category 14 modem that supports 21 Megabits per second (Mbps) of downstream connectivity, as well as Class 33 EDGE support for greater flexibility and worldwide roaming.
  • Broadcom's industry-leading VideoCore IV with vector processing unit (VPU) offering a 'third processing core' for offloading MHz from the Cortex A9 cores, reducing power consumption while improving the Android user interface experience. VideoCore's high performance graphics engine supports powerful shaders and over 1Gpx/s fill rates and can render 3D mobile games natively at up to 1080p resolution at high frame rates which, in combination with a HDMI output, allows a console-quality gaming experience on large screen HDTVs.
  • Advanced imaging with support for 20Mpx sensors and multiple camera inputs for stereoscopic (3D) capture and gesture recognition with advanced ISP feature support (red eye, face tracking, smile detection, etc.).
  • A small 12x12 PoP memory package.  
• The BCM21850 baseband reference platform has been tailored to deliver the most advanced smartphone features along with built-in HSPA+ connectivity, enabled entirely with Broadcom silicon to ensure the highest level of integration and seamless functionality across its various components.
  • Installed with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and support for popular audio and video codecs, including VP8 and Vorbis audio for support of HTML5.
  • Other platform features include:
    • 4.3-inch WVGA TFT LCD with capacitive touch screen
    • 1080p30 camcorder using Broadcom's integrated ISP
    • Simultaneous LCD and 1080p60 HDMI output with 3D graphics
    • High quality 3D gaming and graphics at 1Gpx/s
    • Blu-ray-quality 1080p60 video playback at very low power levels
    • 12 megapixel camera imaging (up to 20Mpx)
    • Release 8 Category 14 (21 Mbps) HSPA+ modem support
• The reference platform also incorporates Broadcom's industry-leading wireless connectivity technology:
  • Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and other connectivity options are pre-integrated into the platform, enabling OEMs to efficiently add best-in-class wireless technologies and expanded functionality for next generation smartphones.
    • BCM4329 for best-in-class integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and FM technologies
    • BCM47511 GPS transceiver with integrated support for GLONASS, providing a high-performance solution with access to the widest possible constellation of satellites for improved location performance
    • Broadcom's InConcert® co-existence technology is also featured within the Merlyn platform, applying interference mitigation techniques to make Broadcom's leading wireless technologies work better together and with less interference.

Supporting Quotes:

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

"Broadcom is one of the few technology companies that can bring together all the key market proven, advanced technologies required for smartphones that will capture the imaginations of mainstream consumers. Our BCM21850 processor and its Broadstone™ reference platform make it easier than ever for OEMs to bring to market all the smartphone features that people want in an affordable handset designs."

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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 high performance applications processors for multimedia and smartphone applications, our position in those markets, and the timing of volume production for new BCM28150baseband reference platform.  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 BCM28150baseband reference platform 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®, Merlyn™ and Broadstone™ 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