The number of compatible i.MX 6 series cores has been expanded from one to four, and performance has been enhanced with a new portfolio of high-performance, low-power multicore SoCs.

January 5, 2011, Seoul – Freescale Semiconductor (Korea Representative: Yeonho Hwang) has launched the i.MX 6 series, a quad-, dual-, and single-core application processor designed to provide excellent performance and scalability to manufacturers of currently popular smartphones, automotive infotainment, and embedded devices.

The i.MX 6 series, integrating one, two, or four ARM® Cortex™-A9 cores operating at up to 1.2GHz, delivers up to five times higher performance than Freescale's current application processors. This makes it possible to enable infinite user experiences for next-generation tablets, e-readers, smartphones, automotive infotainment systems, and other exciting consumer and automotive products with the i.MX 6 series.

Applicable fields include ultra-sleek mobile devices that provide 3D video playback, desktop-class gaming, enhanced visualization applications, and content creation capabilities, and have the advantage of superior battery life compared to many of the most popular mobile devices currently.

Bernd Lienhard, General Manager and Vice President of Freescale’s Multimedia Applications business unit, said, “The i.MX 6 series provides the novel and exceptional online experience consumers demand in next-generation networked consumer electronics,” adding, “Low power, cost efficiency, massive processing power, and excellent compatibility are the core of the i.MX 6 series.”

The i.MX 6 series was developed for some of the fastest-growing application areas in the consumer market. According to market research firm In-Stat, shipments of standalone e-readers are projected to increase from 11.5 million units at the end of 2010 to 35 million units in 2014, and shipments of mobile internet tablets are projected to reach approximately 58 million units in 2014 from a peak of 13.7 million units in 2010.

Scalability across single, dual, and quad-core products is the hallmark of the i.MX 6 series. Common SoC IP building blocks ensure compatibility with series-wide software and development tools, while integrated power management, extensive integrated I/O, and pin compatibility within the package family reduce overall product complexity and development costs. Suitable for the temperature requirements of consumer, automotive, and industrial sectors, the i.MX series provides OEMs with rapid time-to-value, enabling them to quickly build a complete end-product portfolio that can be adjusted and scaled to meet diverse market demands and requirements.

"Jim McGregor, Chief Technology Strategist at market research firm In-Stat, said, 'Freescale can provide all suppliers in the mobile processor sector with a diverse lineup of Cortex™-A9 technology-based, high-performance i.MX6 products. The i.MX6 products meet the diverse needs of customers and embedded applications by providing OEMs with power-efficient, scalable, and software-compatible solutions.'"

Developed based on advanced low-power design expertise, Freescale's i.MX 6 Series achieves the industry's lowest power consumption in demanding applications such as HD 1080p video playback. The i.MX 6 Series provides up to 24 hours of HD video playback and over 30 days of standby time. Integrated power management features reduce the need for an external PMIC and enable power to be supplied only to the components required for the task.

The i.MX 6 series also stands out as one of the first application processors to support the VP8 codec in hardware.

Jani Huoponen, Hardware Product Manager for the WebM Project, stated, "Freescale is using VP8 compression technology in its new advanced i.MX6 series for Apple