Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Dual-Core Chips Coming To All Smartphones In 2011

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the waiting-for-the-triple dept.

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."

8 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Dual core smartphones by jgagnon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Remember to maintain your supply of /facepalm oil to prevent chafing.
    1. Re:Dual core smartphones by ciderbrew · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

    2. Re:Dual core smartphones by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

      --
      My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
    3. Re:Dual core smartphones by jgagnon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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.

      --
      Remember to maintain your supply of /facepalm oil to prevent chafing.
  2. Can't see why "dual core" would be a selling point by samael · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "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.

    --
    My Journal
  3. Re:Can't see why "dual core" would be a selling po by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  4. Re:iPhone by AvitarX · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  5. Re:iPhone by todorb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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).