Freescale reveals 7-inch smartbook reference design, hopes to see it ship for $200
By Darren Murph 
posted January 4th 2010 12:01AM
posted January 4th 2010 12:01AM
Freescale evolves second-generation smartbook form factors with new tablet design
Solution combines best attributes of smartphones and notebook PCs for the ideal blend of performance, portability and battery life
AUSTIN, Texas – Jan. 4, 2010 – Freescale Semiconductor has unveiled the future of the smartbook category with a tablet reference design featuring a 7-inch touch screen with up to four times the viewing area of a typical smartphone and based on a form factor that is approximately one-third the size and volume of today's typical netbook.
The design is intended to enable a second generation of smartbook products with prices less than $200 and featuring form factors that fully leverage the power, performance and functionality advantages of advanced ARM® processor technology. It is designed to provide instant-on functionality, persistent connectivity and all-day battery life. The design will be demonstrated at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show running both the Android and Linux® operating systems.
The solution is based on Freescale's highly integrated 1GHz i.MX515 processor incorporating ARM Cortex™-A8 technology, and it also includes Freescale's MC13892 power management IC, SGTL5000 audio codec and the MMA8450Q 3-axis accelerometer. The solution is designed to help OEMs jump-start creation of smartbook tablets. End products based on the design could hit retail shelves as soon as the summer of 2010.
"Freescale's new tablet opens the door to an exciting new world of compelling form factors specifically designed and optimized to support common online activities including social media, high-quality audio/video playback and light gaming," said Henri Richard, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Freescale. "We believe the tablet will emerge as a popular form factor for the next generation of smartbooks. By introducing this prototype reference design, Freescale intends to play a vital role in propelling the mainstream adoption of smartbooks."
The design is the first platform in Freescale's Smart Application Blueprint for Rapid Engineering (SABRE) series. The SABRE tablet platform for smartbooks incorporates feedback from of a recently completed end-user research study conducted in conjunction with Savannah College of Art and Design's prestigious Industrial Design program.
"Semiconductor providers looking to differentiate in the nascent tablet market will need to offer solutions-focused system reference designs if they are to succeed with the world's foremost consumer electronics OEMs," said Jeff Orr, senior mobile devices analyst at ABI Research. "There is clearly strong end-user demand for tablet form-factors, and new reference designs look to play a major role in helping OEMs speed tablet smartbook products to market."
The tablet includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, and also features a 3D desktop framework with touch screen/QWERTY keyboard support. 3G modem and RF4CE protocol options are available. The tablet's modular approach to 3G connectivity lets systems designers select carrier-specific air interfaces appropriate for different regions. Modules can be pre-certified by carriers and selected to match a range of features and performance ranges. This method makes it easy to migrate quickly to new modem technologies as they are introduced.
Example smartbook platform applications intended to run on the tablet include a web browser with Adobe® Flash® Player and multimedia plug-ins, a media center, PDF and image viewers, a mail client, an RSS reader, an office suite, handwriting utilities and various widgets for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Weather SMS and other applications.
Smartbook reference design features
• Size: small/thin form factor (200mm x 128mm x 14.9cm and weighing 376 grams); no need for fan or heat sink
• Processor: Freescale i.MX515 applications processor provides high performance and low power
- ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz
- OpenVG & OpenGL/ES graphics cores
- HD video decoder hardware
• Memory: 512 MB DDR2
• Display: 7-inch (1024 x 600) touch screen
• Storage: 4-64 GB internal storage; removable micro SD
• Connectivity: 3G modem (option) 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, RF4CE (option)
• Ports: USB 2.0 and USB mini (also for charging), audio in/audio out, SIM card
• Audio: speaker, microphone
• Camera: 3 Mpixel (video recording up to VGA @ 30fps)
• Battery: 1900mAh, USB charging
• Sensors: the MMA8450Q 3-axis accelerometer and an ambient light sensor
• Power management IC
Partners
Freescale and its partners offer a range of support, including turnkey designs. Inventec Appliance Corporation (IAC) provides expertise in design and manufacturing services for handhelds and netbooks. Freescale has also partnered with Thundersoft for software integration customization and optimization. For companies wishing to manage their projects internally, Freescale offers design aids including block diagram, schematic, list of materials and a Linux board support package.
Availability
The smartbook reference design is expected to be available for evaluation beginning February 2010 through local Freescale sales representatives. Reference design details are available at www.freescale.com/smartbook.
I just saw a unicorn!
@yulebellow This isn't actually all that rare. The Elonex One had a similar design (tablet with keyboard dock) and lower specifications, but running embedded LinOS on a MIPS (not ARM) processor. It came in at £99 retail, but hopefully it will have a better browser this time round.
@ZSX damnit! mines only 6.5"
@yulebellow
OMZG!!$# THey totally ripped off the iPadz!#!@!@ it's so obvisous@#!!!!!!
What? Too soon?
Wow, there are so many things that are similar to each other, but a little different in some ways....
So I could potentially hackintosh this and get an iSlate for $500 cheaper?
@stonecoldstevejobs
>hackintosh
>Cortex A8 processor
DOES NOT COMPUTE.
@starkruzr Key word, potentially. Unless there would be a size problem, I am no expert.
@stonecoldstevejobs No, it uses ARM, not x86 (or PowerPC, for older versions of OSX that supported it). Cant run a Civic on diesel, ya know?
@stonecoldstevejobs But more importantly, why would you want a not complete software/OS from a not-so-amazing company that gives you no freedom, but to spend money on them so they become richer and more famous while you become the addicted person?
@Nitesh
True, except the iSlate won't run anything even as moderately useful as OSX.
iPOS does run on Arm.
@Nitesh Alright, I am always happy to add something to library of knowledge in my head.(No d-baggery meant in that comment)
@seojuhwan I'm not the biggest fan of Apple, but I do recognize the UI amazingness fanboys love to talk about. When it comes to computers, this is not the selling point for me. But in a handheld device that is all that matters.
Freescale is a weird way to spell Apple.
$200 or less would be awesome but I just don't see it happening. $800 cheaper than iSlate though is a deal, lol
@Plazmic Flame It's the joojoo-virus, it's contagious and has a very high fatality rate.
But it get's them some cheap publicity ...
it is running UNR???
Some gui elements are kde, some are gnome.. I'm actually very confused. All I can be sure of is that it's a Free OS..
@egy11micro
NO, It runs a customised version of Debian Linux
http://gizmodo.com/5439215/freescales-199-smartbook-tablet-design-means-tablets-for-everyone-later-this-year
Joshua Toplotski!
Is this the CrunchPad part 2?
Freescale didn't choose PowerPC?
@Godfather
that is really odd, I thought they were still making the G4 for networking equipment, you would think they would put one in their own device.
@npa189 the G4 is not exactly a battery-friendly processor.
In theory it sounds wonderful.
In reality $400.
But hey, if they can bring this out for $200 all the better.
@Schmitty Since you can buy netbooks with keyboards, 10" displays, full sized hard drives, Windows, bigger batteries, etc for well under $300 they should certainly be able to do this for under $200.
But again, what OS does it run? Is the touchscreen responsive? One little problem in a device like this can kill it.
@Fanfoot
It runs a customised version of Debian Linux
@Fanfoot
Yes, you do make a good point. It seems like tablets are always overpriced though, but I guess this is trying to change that. Hopefully it'll have multi touch and a decent virtual keyboard. We'll see.
It would be great if a company could actually make one of these devices, have it work properly, and sell it for the price close to what they originally intended.
@(Unverified)
Sounds like bad JooJoo to me.
Not too shabby. Not quite at disposable computing prices but we are getting there :-P
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@Steve Jobs CEO
Is that Admiral Ackbar?!?!
@yulebellow On the left.
@Steve Jobs CEO I'm with Steve on this one
@Steve Jobs CEO
Steve Jobs, Are you up set that Freescales tablets better than your unreleased version?
can we stop throwing terms around, this is just a large PDA, a smartbook should resemble a netbook on the outside, this doesn't even open and close
@JeremyBenthem
Yeah True PDA's are now called PDA, MID, Smartbook, PMP, Tablet, Multimedia Players, Ebooks, MP4 Players
Dear Mike Arrington: is there some reason you still think you're relevant?
http://appventcalendar.com/character-contest/
please go and vote for the "flying fish"!
"Android [i]and[/i] Linux® operating systems." ...
good
From:http://www.discount-laptop-batteries.co.uk/
White model has no speakers.
the bad is that it has a resistive screen,so hardly it has multi-touch
@typhon
does it matter? perhaps stylus will have a better performance on the device
@typhon
actually multi-touch resistive is now available
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/stantums-mind-blowing-multitouch-interface-on-video/
Man, Techcrunch should count themselves lucky they got screwed out of the Crunchpad now that competitors are comming out from all angles, including that rumored google tablet.
Anyone else notice how whenever a company or whatever says 'We'll be making sub 100 or 200 dollar notebooks', they end up selling for 300-400 dollars instead? :|
@Denji
Exactly what I was thinking! When Asus announced the 7" Eeepc, they estimated $200 sell price. When it finally came out, it was $400. It finally got close to $250 or so after the 9" models came around before it stopped selling (if it has).
With current technology, and the fact that its no more than an oversized iPod touch (but not Apple), it COULD sell for $200, but I think the profit margin might still be a bit too small and I just think realistically it would be at least $300.
If it could be $200 and actually work well, I think there could be a "tablet" renaissance. Cheap enough to become ubiquitous.
make it happen and i will buy