Dual-Core Chips Coming To All Smartphones In 2011

An anonymous reader writes "All top of the range smartphones will be sporting dual-core chips this year. So is it time to ditch your current pocket rocket? Not necessarily — dual-core will give a bit of a boost to multitasking and media streaming but probably won't persuade iPhone owners to switch to Android, says the writer."

Comments

iPhone

[imamac]

probably won't persuade iPhone owners to switch to Android

And who is to say that the iPhone 5 won't be dual core?

Re:iPhone

[AvitarX]

Considering my phone screen is 65%-85% of the battery, I am not too worried about a dual core.

Also, I imagine with the ability to kill off cores when not needed a slower dual-core could use less than a single core, and run better.

The iPad has massive battery because of the screen, which I bet is over 90% of the power used. Especially in one that is being used as a browser tablet without 3G (less going on when not being used).

My current (4 hours since unplugged, not too much usage today vs a normal morning) has 65% display, 10% cell standby, 8% phone idle as the top 3. Not having the phone function would save 10% of my battery, but still the screen is the real killer. And on a typical day I use the screen a lot more in the morning.

This is Tmobile G2 for reference.

Re:iPhone

[todorb]

two cores on lower clock rate may consume less energy than one core with fast clocking. energy use is proportional to the square of the clock rate, so it's a matter of tuning to achieve lower power. the only question is whether the slow cores will be fast enough for the important sequential tasks (if there are such at all).

Dual core smartphones

[jgagnon]

I made a comment about dual/quad core phones a while back and was laughed at. It will happen folks and sooner than you suspect. Phones are quickly becoming our primary computing device, or at least the centerpiece of our electronic lives.

It's not about playing Doom on a smart phone, it's about the phone being able to do everything we ask it to do without having to wait too long.

Re:Dual core smartphones

[ciderbrew]

I have an htc desire. It fast enough. What I need is a 3G connection on the train to and from work. That is the slow part.

Re:Dual core smartphones

[TaoPhoenix]

Key was Motorola's docking demonstrations at CES. Give it two years and everyone will be able to do it. Then you can park at for example a net cafe with a public monitor and plug in your phone and do some work, and a few games, then you keep your computing device (mostly) safely with you.

Re:Dual core smartphones

[jgagnon]

That's exactly the way I see things headed. We will all be carrying around our "computer" and storage with us, and public places will simply augment it with larger screens and keyboard (as Motorola suggests) or in many other ways. In this way we buy the applications we use for our personal computing devices (PCD) and then have access to them everywhere we go. No more of this crap of buying software four times over for four machines at home.

Imagine walking into the living room and your PCD magically becomes the remote for your TV, VCR, DVR, or whatever. Then you walk into the kitchen and you can control the microwave, stove, and other devices with it. Walk out of the house and your phone allows you to remotely set the alarm and lock the doors. It becomes the key to your car once you are in it or allows you to remote start it. You walk near a printer at work with it and print the document you grabbed from home. The possibilities are endless.

Can't see why "dual core" would be a selling point

[samael]

"Runs smoothly" would be a selling point. "Amazing graphics" would be a selling point. "Long battery life" would be a selling point. But the number of bits of silicon inside the phone really isn't going to attract many consumers.

Re:Can't see why "dual core" would be a selling po

[L4t3r4lu5]

For the same reason that 2GHz is better than 1.4GHz. The number is bigger, so the PHBs and yuppies will clamour for them. Meanwhile, those of us with an eye for detail will look at things like battery capacity, sound quality, compatibility with existing architectures and applications, and make informed decisions, instead of pawing at the latest shiny-shiny like a kitten with a toy.

Re:Nothing will persuade iPhone users to switch

[Archangel Michael]

Yes.

Just yesterday, one of my best friends, a diehard Apple guy, was asking me about my DroidX and I was showing it to him. He has a iPhone with AT&T right now, and with the iPhone coming to Verizon in a couple weeks, he is considering switching not only carriers but also phones. He wanted to know how I like the DroidX and I was showing him everything on it. He was impressed. He especially liked the widgets on the home screen (ie Multitiasking)

I don't know how impressed he was, of if he was impressed enough to switch, I'll know when he's got a new phone.

But suffice it to say, he is looking at other phones. I wouldn't bet that he gets a Droid, he'll most likely end up on iPhone/VZ, but that isn't exactly what you asked. He's at least considering it.