New ARM Platforms for Mobile Internet Devices

Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) have experienced a low penetration of the market until now, yet future projections place them among some of the most popular products. Given this forecast, industry players like Intel or VIA are working on the development of microprocessors and platforms fit for these devices. Besides the heavy names, there are also traditional players that move into the same direction, and one of them, ARM Holdings, is planning to have its micro-architecture inside MID during the next year.

“We have also launched our high performance, low power consumption Cortex-A8 and A9 platforms for MID (Mobile Internet Device) products. We have strong confidence in the MID market and look forward to seeing ARM-based MID products hit the market in 2009,” said Warren East, chief executive officer of ARM, in an interview published by DigiTimes.

Currently, Nokia’s N770, N800 and N810 Internet tablets are already powered by Texas Instruments OMAP (Open Multimedia Application Platform) microprocessors with ARM architecture and PowerVR graphics cores. Nokia's products can be considered MIDs. Also, no Mobile Internet Devices powered by Intel are available on the market at this time.

On the other hand, ARM has something to worry about. Projections show that Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices and Via Technologies will have the ability to bring their x86 micro-architecture not only inside MIDs, but into handsets as well.

ARM would still have an advantage there. Given the fact that about 98 percent of mobile phones sold worldwide are powered by its processors and that the latest trends push the industry towards low-power computers and consumer electronics, the battle takes place on ARM microprocessors' territory, and x86 CPU makers are in disadvantage.

ABI Research, a market research firm, said that, in 2013, the total number of ultra-mobile PCs, netbooks and mobile Internet devices is expected to exceed 200 million units. Projected revenues will achieve $27 billion, the firm revealed. According to the same projection, the unit share of MIDs will account for 68 percent of the ultra-mobile Internet devices shipments.