ARM processors could be at the heart of one of the most eagerly awaited tablet computer launches of the year.
With everyone talking about the launch Google’s Nexus One smartphone, the same technology partnership between Google and HTC is also believed to be working on the first Chrome OS-based tablet computer.
And that device will represent an important tablet computing design win for ARM.
Taiwanese handset developer HTC, which brought the first Android phones to market and is working with Google on the Nexus One smartphone, is believed to be lining up a tablet launch for later in the year.
It is anticipated that the Chrome OS tablet will incorporate Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon chipset
See: AT&T to launch ARM-based netbook
The companies are not confirming the tablet plans, but reports suggest that HTC will be showing a new Snapdragon-based device with touch control to selected customers at CES in Las Vegas this week.
If true this could be an important design win for Cambridge-based ARM which is bidding to establish a lead position in the tablet computing market.
ARM has long made clear its desire to widen its area of interest from mobile phones to PC-like mobile computing devices.
The imminent launch of Apple's tablet, on January 26th, could make the mobile computing device which is not a netbook but nor is it a smartphone, the mobile product of choice in 2010.
And there is every possibility that ARM processors will have the right power/performance characteristics for most new designs.
There are signs that this is the case with Freescale basing its first tablet reference design on the Cortex-A8 based i.MX515 processor.
The concept of the tablet is a mobile device which sits between the netbook and smartphone.
It has a form factor that is approximately one-third the size and volume of today's typical netbook.
While it seems likely that Apple has used an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, there will be a number of mobile computing companies looking to compete with Apple's "iSlate" and for them Cortex looks liking being the processor with the power efficiency to do the job.
A big player is expected to be Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon chip.
Then there is Notion Ink, a US firm which is expected to be introducing its tablet at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month.
Notion Ink's Android running tablet design is based on the Nvidia Tegra chip which itself is based on an ARM11 MP Core running at 750NMHz.
As a result it has the performance to support full HD video, and it will come with built in WiFi, and UMTS/HSPA.
Freescale said the Cortex-A8 based reference design should support a type of smartbook with prices less than $200.
See: Teardown analysis: T-Mobile's G1 - Google's Android OS emerges