How fast will mobile phone CPU's get?

Soldato
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Beyond 1.2ghz dual core which is plenty fast enough for a phone, is it likely we'll see cpu speeds going up and up to like 3 or 4ghz in years to come? If so, why? I can't really envisage the necessity for it in the same way a pc needs it. Have we almost reached a practical limit with the samsung galaxy S2, HTC Sensation and others springing up with dual core cpu's?
 
I wont be happy until I've got a quantum CPU in my pocket! :p

I think eventually your phone will be your PC, you'll just sit at a screen and it'll wirelessly link and do away with the need for actual computers for a lot of things, stuff like that.

They just need to catch up with the battery technology now.
 
I think 1.5ghz quadcore max cpu's with more development into more powerful but power efficient GPU's and soc bandwidth. Then making everything smaller and more power efficient.

Just my theory.
 
I wont be happy until I've got a quantum CPU in my pocket! :p

Basically that is the way its going with mobile handsets :p so small multi core (ARM chips mainly) will see dominance in this area.
The handset is now seen as more than just a phone, its a multimedia device, not fully replacing a laptop but its heading that way for mobile applications, shame they suffer issues that make them lacking as phones now :(
 
I wont be happy until I've got a quantum CPU in my pocket! :p

I think eventually your phone will be your PC, you'll just sit at a screen and it'll wirelessly link and do away with the need for actual computers for a lot of things, stuff like that.

They just need to catch up with the battery technology now.

Well the SGS2 is already a cut down pc in many ways, but I can't see phones ever replacing a laptop or full size desktop pc. It would be far too limited in what you could do in terms of upgrading and adding components.
 
HTC have announced a phone coming out this year with a 1.8 GHz Krait Snapdragon CPU.

We're nearly at 2Ghz within the first year of mobile phone dual cores :p
 
It will be proportional to the ability to cool them passively while maintaining them with a decent amount of power for a few hours.
 
Just been looking at a chip made my Texas Instruments for a small project and it has:

2 * 2Ghz ARM cores
2 * 180Mhz ARM Cores
PowerVR GPU
Memory controller
Bluetooth controller
WiFi controller
GPS
Electronic Compass and other geometry micro circuitry
512kb in-built memory (extra to the cache on each cores die)

All in a 14*14mm package built using a 28nm process.

Looking at the specs, it uses less power with all of its various components being used at full capacity than the current crop seen in phones etc do.

Now, it's nowhere near the pinnacle of what can and will be done, so i think we'll see some very impressive mobile phone specifications to come yet.
 
why so worried about clock speed...?

look at this %$£" card cpu only running at 600mhz and it costs £650

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-122-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1966

or maybe http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-255-AS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752 @ 800mhz

obviously my phone with its 1ghz cpu is far more powerful???

ghz=(almost) meaningless unless comparing CPU's within one range (ie one intel core 2 to another) and even that really needs to take into account cache levels and external buss speed
 
**snip**
ghz=(almost) meaningless unless comparing CPU's within one range (ie one intel core 2 to another) and even that really needs to take into account cache levels and external buss speed

i'm pretty sure that this is something that, as a forum of computer enthusiasts, everyone is well aware of.

On the other hand, due to the architecture that most mobile phone CPUs currently use, speculation on future developments in clockspeed is quite valid.

As an aside, my (now antiquated) Desire-Z has only an 800MHz cpu from the factory but the SoC can be overclocked to more than 1500MHz without stability issues.
i suspect that most SoCs are similar.
 
why so worried about clock speed...?

look at this %$£" card cpu only running at 600mhz and it costs £650

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-122-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1966

or maybe http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-255-AS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752 @ 800mhz

obviously my phone with its 1ghz cpu is far more powerful???

ghz=(almost) meaningless unless comparing CPU's within one range (ie one intel core 2 to another) and even that really needs to take into account cache levels and external buss speed

Who's comparing anything other than current (nearly always ARM based) phones to future ARM based phones?

Is it meaningless to compare a 2Ghz i7 to a 3Ghz i7? If it was then people wouldn't overclock...

I agree it makes no sense to compare a 2Ghz based ARM core to a 2Ghz x86 core of some kind, but it is quite valid to compare a 2Ghz ARM core to say the 1Ghz ARM core in my Galaxy S! The new chip will not only be (more than) twice as fast, it uses similar amounts of power AND has 2 of the over twice as fast cores available. It's pretty amazing imo, especially when you realise the RRP per unit is just over $10 (wholesale oc).
 
I have my own wild..maybe not wild but plausible theory on how all technology will go.

Its all gonna be streamed, little to no hardware actually on you, everything will be done via Air connections and servers, an ultra light super thin screen only with what ever WiFi adaptor in it mic speaker etc, wont be needing memory moduals, controllers etc, USB may not even be required.

Just my own thought, have this thought pretty much about Consoles as well, I could see the next generation of consoles being the last hardware based ones, after that, streaming PC quality gaming from servers and you pay a yearly subscription or something like that.

Plenty of holes to pick out but I do like discussing it as its been in my head about how things could go in the future lol.
 
I would be happy when the phone properly replaces the laptop (not just glorified android tablet with apps) so probably around the 2-3ghz dual core (could be done in the next 2-3 years). The top spec dual core phones are powerful enough as smart phones now and they don’t suffer lag or delays and run apps fluidly, so they don’t technically need to be faster just have more refined software.

Microsoft are onto something with their Windows Phones, just the hardware tech hasn’t caught up yet. Once they can run a full version of Win 7 from a phone and it can simply dock with the peripherals job done. They can do a power management workaround and even a dual boot with win mobile booting up at 1.2ghz giving you a day or two battery life for regular use but still provide access to files and cut down versions of office software leaving full windows boot for when plugged in.

In a twist of irony though it seems the faster the phone the longer start up takes and the more complicated the process is to actually make a call and use in call functions whilst faffing with the touch screen. My Samsung C3050 turns on in about 2 seconds and navigates calls and texts without delay.
 
I must say, I was very impressed with the performance jump from my Desire to the SG2 without too much of a battery penalty. It will be interesting to see if there is much scope for applications/games to take advantage of the extra power
 
I would be happy when the phone properly replaces the laptop (not just glorified android tablet with apps) so probably around the 2-3ghz dual core (could be done in the next 2-3 years). The top spec dual core phones are powerful enough as smart phones now and they don’t suffer lag or delays and run apps fluidly, so they don’t technically need to be faster just have more refined software.

Microsoft are onto something with their Windows Phones, just the hardware tech hasn’t caught up yet. Once they can run a full version of Win 7 from a phone and it can simply dock with the peripherals job done. They can do a power management workaround and even a dual boot with win mobile booting up at 1.2ghz giving you a day or two battery life for regular use but still provide access to files and cut down versions of office software leaving full windows boot for when plugged in.

In a twist of irony though it seems the faster the phone the longer start up takes and the more complicated the process is to actually make a call and use in call functions whilst faffing with the touch screen. My Samsung C3050 turns on in about 2 seconds and navigates calls and texts without delay.

You want Windows 8 then, to be released probably next year, will be the first OS that needs no tweaking to port to tablets and phone (from PCs).
 
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