Apple prepping devices based on Intel's Silverthorne chip

We suppose it was always inevitable, but things are about to get quite interesting at the intersection of cellphone and laptop processors. According to Intel, Apple has apparently committed to using the company's 45nm Silverthorne chip in multiple products slated for 2008. The chip offers the processing power of second-generation Pentium M processors, with the power consumption of a cellphone chip. Of course, it's not just the processor. Apple is expected to emerge as a major supporter of Intel's whole "Menlow" Mobile Internet Device platform, which packages processor, graphics and connectivity into a small enough bundle to give iPhone-powering Samsung a run for its money in ultra mobile products -- and Intel has made it clear that it has its sights set on that very member of Apple's lineup wit. The best news for dreamers that've been holding out for a true Newton successor all this time is that the chips provide plenty of juice for a UMPC-type device should Apple choose to go down that path.

[Thanks, Mark]

[applefreak @ Dec 21st 2007 11:15AM]

cool now apple will make a Mac that costs more then a Mac Pro but has the prosessing power of a 2 year old laptop?!?!?!?!

[RyanTV @ Dec 21st 2007 12:23PM]

no you dolt, think of a iPhone with a GHz + processor. That's what they are after.

seriously, Apple haters need to get a bit more creative.

[RyanTV @ Dec 21st 2007 12:23PM]

you know, maybe they should get an apple. they do wonders for creativity.

[applefreak @ Dec 21st 2007 4:31PM]

ummmm... did you reply to the wrong person?

[Macha88 @ Dec 21st 2007 7:53PM]

point in case.

[Carbonize @ Dec 21st 2007 11:19AM]

Stupid move saying they have their sites set on this being used in the iPhone. Other manufacturers are going to feel a bit peeved with that comment if it's true. Now if they said they were aiming at a range of phone such as the iPhone etc then it would make sense. But given this was taken from an Apple based site I suppose some bias is expected.

[DeathFromAbove @ Dec 21st 2007 11:22AM]

I believe the article said it would be used in a UMPC type device, not the iPhone. Even if it was in an iPhone though, I think it would be a good move. The phone would have greater processor power without sacrificing battery life. But that's the idea behind any mobile device that uses this chip.

[Andrew @ Dec 21st 2007 11:21AM]

Give Samsung a run for it's money? This thing will blow it out of the water. ARM speeds don't even compare to x86, PLUS this thing would already be quite a bit faster even if they were the same architecture. Being x86 this will open incredible doors for the mobile world. Aside from Apple, expect to see Windows Mobile devices shift away from the aging Windows CE ARM architecture to something more like XPe which is MUCH more powerful. With this chip, smartphones really will become miniature computers.

[why not the LS2/LS7? @ Dec 21st 2007 6:09PM]

You're comparing against lasted x86 chips. This has the speed of a 2nd generation Pentium M. If it has the power of a 1GHz P-M with 500mW power, it's far far behind an ARM.

[Andrew @ Dec 22nd 2007 2:28AM]

I'm not at all though. I realize that this chip is no where near the speed of our current x86 CPUs and that's not what I compare against. Admittedly I have little experience with the ARM architecture, but from what I gathered from some reading, it seems like it holds no water to an x86 processor in this sort of application. For more simplistic phones, perhaps, but our phones are quickly becoming small computers that we carry around with us. If I have understood correctly, ARM can't compare to the power of an x86 CPU in that way. But of course I don't expect the very first release of the chip to blow away ARM, but ARM has been making their chips for a very long time. Give Intel a year or two with this chip and I see it being a clear winner over the ARM architecture in our increasingly powerful mobile devices.

And this doesn't even take into consideration that x86 is infinitely more compatible with what has become the common computing world. To this point nearly all third party software has been written in Java, or has been dependent on the OS to translate for ARM to utilize the code. Moving to x86 means that once we reach a sufficient power level and with the right OS (XPe for example), you could literally take applicatiosn off your home computer and use them on your phone.

In the end, It's little question to me that x86 will overtake ARM, it's just a matter of how quickly.

[broli @ Dec 21st 2007 11:23AM]

That's quite some proccesing power Billy!

My laptop has a first gen pentium m chip which currently is running vista beatifully.

[Kizorblade @ Dec 21st 2007 11:26AM]

Silverthrone? That's one awesome name.

Anyway, it would be unlikely that Apple actually NEEDS that much power in the iPhone, the current clock speed in the Samsung one is what, 400mhz or so?
More likely for a really tiny laptop.

Alternatively, they could downclock the processor and save even more battery life in the 2G iPhone (if they use it in there) and pair it up with a 3G chip and you may very well get battery life close to the current one, if not better.

[Justin @ Dec 21st 2007 11:30AM]

So would that be a 3G 2G iPhone or a 2G 3G iPhone?

My head hurts.

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 21st 2007 11:52AM]

sounds like an expensive toilet.

[GTMac @ Dec 21st 2007 12:40PM]

Due to the Commutative Law of Multiplication it doesn't matter. Where's your algebra, Justin? It's a 6G phone!

[GTMac @ Dec 21st 2007 12:43PM]

D'oh! Forgot the exponent. Where's MY algebra?! ok ok, it's a 6G^2 phone.

[SirPasta117 @ Dec 21st 2007 11:29AM]

Is anyone more impressed by the fact that intel has made such a small processor, or that they still can find room for their logo

[Steele @ Dec 21st 2007 11:38AM]

Seriously!
ps LOL

[Gremlin @ Dec 21st 2007 11:51AM]

kudos to intel for splurging on the 2007 penny.

[Joseph @ Dec 21st 2007 2:06PM]

those have been out for a while now.

//taking your post as seriously as you meant it.

[js @ Dec 21st 2007 12:07PM]

iPhone!

[tamoghno @ Dec 21st 2007 12:17PM]

iPhone 2

featuring: high-def video recording
full flash + web2.0 in safari
ability to run desktop apps.

[futurepastnow @ Dec 21st 2007 12:07PM]

I doubt Apple cares about UMPC devices. This is most likely to be used by Apple in a revised AppleTV, which has a ULV Pentium M processor now.

[michaelportent @ Dec 21st 2007 12:31PM]

Isn't technology rad? We now have ridiculous processors smaller than a penny. And of course, it's just gonna get smaller and more powerful. Reminds me of the Fred Armisen skit on SNL where he's Steve Jobs introducing the "iPod Pequeno" that holds 1 million songs.

[apw76006 @ Dec 21st 2007 12:36PM]

Don't speculate too much about the how Apple will use the Silverstone chip because you may be sued.

[jcasebmw @ Dec 21st 2007 12:51PM]

I should have held off on my iPhone purchase now that the next gen iPhones will be much faster. I wish I knew the right time to buy Apple products. : (

John Case
Prime Source Products
http://www.ShopPrimeSource.com

[cbisquit @ Dec 21st 2007 2:48PM]

about 2 months and 6 days after they come out, give or take 72 hours.

[Johan S @ Dec 21st 2007 1:20PM]

Am I the only one who thinks the device Intel showed looks better than the iPhone. I would buy it.

[Constable Odo @ Dec 21st 2007 1:41PM]

Oh sweet Jeebus! The power of a desktop computer on an iPhone. Folding@home and running full Leopard on 20 million iPhones. Wow! The device of the decade just got better. I guess the rest of the cellphone industry will be getting their pink slips soon.

[bobartig @ Dec 21st 2007 1:47PM]

I want the Mac OS X "Tablet Ed" that is slimmed down and fast on this little chip, with some sort of touch-based UI, then dump that into a slate form-factor mac with a solid state drive and outrageous battery life.

[jkkmobile @ Dec 21st 2007 1:49PM]

Best part is that I could install Windoze to it ;)

[Bill Griffith @ Dec 21st 2007 4:06PM]

Cute. He sort of groans out Jingle Bells (among other songs) and when he's done, he says "Huh!???" almost like he didn't realize he was into singing and caught himself. Very Very cute. Yes, I do have one - you can see a few pics here: http://www.pbase.com/bigpaws/pleo

Cheers,

Bill
:-=>

[Carson Whitsett @ Dec 21st 2007 4:26PM]

Even though the PCB says "Confidential" on it, I guess it's OK for us to see it?

[James Yopp @ Dec 21st 2007 6:26PM]

I'm guessing that the external appearance of the chip isn't what's confidential about it. Just like you can take a photo of a file folder that is stamped "Confidential" on the outside.

[why not the LS2/LS7? @ Dec 21st 2007 6:07PM]

This chip does not offer the same power usage as a cell phone processor. It's a 0.5W-class chip. A cell phone processor would use 1/10th the power of this chip.

This is a great UMPC chip. It's not good enough for a cell phone right now.

[Ram @ Dec 22nd 2007 12:30AM]

Qualcomm, anyone?

[Arcygenical @ Dec 23rd 2007 12:03PM]

It's Intel. They can do Anything.

[Abhi @ Dec 22nd 2007 1:32AM]

:o
How did they make the penny stand up to take a picture?!

[Nemo @ Dec 24th 2007 3:50PM]

I think this is just a matter of time as it happened with the books, well i meant if there is an iBook there is also a MacBook. so same thing's going to happen if my guessing is correct... if there is an iPhone (already out smarted thosee so called smart phones) there would be a MacPhone sooner or later...as a big time rival for Windows based Pocket PC Phones or UMPC types. Ummm...The Steve version of our beloved Newton Massege Pad say, 'MacPhone or uMac'....who knows, in the pipeline already.

Hey Cheer up buddies. Apple never failed us.