Compal Uses Broadcom's Persona Platform in Its Tablets

While Intel's Pine/Oak Trail and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 SoCs are the main platforms used in tablets, it seems that CES 2011 was the site where other contenders, like Broadcom's Persona, made themselves heard.

That the tablet market is on a course definitely set for expansion has already become a generally accepted fact.

Dozens and dozens of such mobile devices made an appearance, many for the first time, during CES 2011 alone.

As far as hardware goes, Broadcom's Persona is not exactly a totally new appearance, as it has been used in DVR devices for a while.

Still, it seems that it has made its first incursion into the tablet market, now that Compal chose it for its own slates.

The Broadcom Persona ICE will have either a single-core or dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and shall be employed in tablets intended for Compal's ODMs.

The chips in question will operate at clock speeds of 1GHz or more and will be complemented by VideoCore IV graphics.

Thus, the hardware should be able to handle media playback in quality of up to 1,080p, as well as 3D games.

There will also be HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth, a DSP system for VoIP and GPS, plus HD video conferencing and Flash playback.

Unfortunately, no information exists on how long it takes for Compal's devices to reach the market.

“Compal Electronics is pleased to partner with Broadcom to deliver differentiated tablet platforms to market,” said Ray Chen, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Compal Electronics Inc.

“The new Persona ICE platforms are delivered as completely integrated systems enabling Compal to optimally deploy our R&D for fast time to market. We look forward to leveraging Broadcom’s technology and unprecedented market reach to jointly address new market segments.”

“Compal is one of the premier designers and manufacturers of mobile PCs in the world. Our partnership with Compal enables the delivery of a world-class platform allowing us to address our customers’ demand for turnkey tablet solutions,” stated Robert Rango, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom’s Wireless Connectivity Group.