Texas Instruments Introduces Single-Chip Platform for the Low-Cost Handset Market

Texas Instruments announced its third generation GSM solution for the low-cost handset market. The new LoCosto ULC platform includes improvements in voice clarity and loudness; battery life; and support for a range of advanced features, including enhanced color display, FM stereo, MP3 ringtones, camera, and MP3 playback.

The LoCosto ULC single-chip platform is an extension of Texas Instruments' LoCosto family of solutions. LoCosto ULC uses DRP technology, a single-chip approach to wireless chip design that integrates the RF transceiver and analog codec with the digital baseband. This technology significantly reduces board space and system costs, enabling an extended battery life. The new LoCosto ULC products, the TCS2305 and TCS2315, are the first 65-nanometer single-chip mobile phone products for GSM and GPRS handsets and will sample in the first half of 2007, with mass production scheduled for 2008.

"As high-growth emerging economies add subscribers, these consumers have made it clear they desire more than basic mobile phones," said Alain Mutricy, Texas Instruments' Vice President. "Texas Instruments continues to change the playing field with 'LoCosto,' adding features consumers now want on sleek ultra low-cost handsets. We are achieving this through continued system integration and cost reduction with our DRP single-chip technology and by moving the 'LoCosto' platform to 65-nanometer."

Compared to the current LoCosto generation, the TCS2305 and TCS2315 solutions will enable 60 percent longer stand-by time and 30 percent longer talk time. The solutions will also offer a 2x improvement in voice loudness and will include full duplex voice call support to reduce voice chopping, both of which are necessary in noisy environments. Additionally, LoCosto ULC will offer full color display with no external SRAM and will support more advanced features, including MP3 ringtones and MP3 playback; FM stereo; camera; USB charging; slimmer form factors; and handset security through Texas Instruments' M-Shield advanced hardware and software security framework that offers protection of copyrighted content.