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posted by Fnord666 on Monday March 20 2017, @02:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the very-impressive dept.

A third-party SoC developer has introduced an octo-core smartphone SoC using 14nm x86 Airmont (Atom) cores from Intel:

To date, the Spreadtrum SC9861G-IA is the most powerful (and presumably energy-efficient) x86-based SoC for smartphones. It has more cores, better graphics, and a faster modem than Intel's own code-named Moorefield SoCs introduced in 2014, made using its 22 nm fabrication process, or the SoFIA chips (designed by Rockchip) launched in 2015 made using TSMC's 28 nm technologies. Using Intel's 14 nm manufacturing technology for this new SoC helps to reduce minimum power requirements and die size (which still remain unknown).

The SC9861G-IA is the first x86-based SoC by Spreadtrum, and the development was enabled by an agreement signed in late 2014 after Intel acquired a $1.5-billion worth stake in Tsinghua Unigroup, the owner of Spreadtrum. The chip will not carry the Intel Atom brand, and thus Intel will not help makers of devices to integrate it or make any other incentives to popularize the platform. It will also not invest in its advertising. What is interesting is that the SC9861G-IA will not be Spreadtrum's last x86-based SoC, according to the CEO of Intel.


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  • (Score: 1) by petecox on Monday March 20 2017, @09:54PM (2 children)

    by petecox (3228) on Monday March 20 2017, @09:54PM (#481806)

    The article says phones but it's more likely to be in $200 "Wifi + Cellular" Windows 10 tablets.

    (Unless MS is still clinging to the Surface Phone vaporware - they are emulating x86 on Snapdragon 835 for lack of a suitable Atom)

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday March 21 2017, @12:50AM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday March 21 2017, @12:50AM (#481896) Journal

    Have 8 cores ever been put in a tablet or Chromebook?

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 22 2017, @08:33AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 22 2017, @08:33AM (#482601)

      Is it using Intel signed microcode, or Spreadtrum microcode, and does it include Intel's Management Engine technology, or signed GPU firmware?

      If not, the followup question would be: Does the memory controller contain the circuitry necessary for driving RAM DIMMs instead of RAM chips directly integrated on the circuit board?

      The final question: Does it contain ECC support?

      No, Yes, Either would be a pretty nice x86 chip. With ECC support it would open up a whole lot of robust low power device opportunities on the bottom end, especially with VT/IOMMU support.