Intel has taken the wraps of its next generation of mobile processors for PDAs and smartphones, the PXA270 series, previously known by the more colorful moniker Bulverde. The PXA270 series is part of Intel's successful XScale line. It features faster clocks speeds, better wireless security, improved power saving, and enhanced multimedia.

Clock Speed

While the previous generation XScale processors topped out at 400 MHz, the new series goes as high as 624 MHz. Other clock speeds in the new series include 520 MHz, 416 MHz and 312 MHz. The first device expected to include a PXA270 processor is an upcoming Asus handheld called the MyPal A730 Pocket PC. Introduced a month ago, the MyPal A730 should be out next month with a 520 MHz CPU. Don't expect see smartphones with the new XScale processors, however, till later this year.

Multimedia

As for multimedia, the PXA270 series is the first mobile processor to integrate Intel's Wireless MMX technology for 3-D games and video. According to the company, this enables the new XScales to handle multimedia as well as standard ARM CPUs at higher clock speeds.

Along with the new PXA270 processor family, Intel has unveiled a seperate chip, the 2700G multimedia accelerator, for delivering enhanced video and graphic capabilities when used in tandem with the new XScales. The company claims this chip enables full screen video at full frame rates without sacrificing battery life, while delivering DVD-quality video playback on VGA displays and supporting a wide range of video formats such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and Microsoft Windows Media Video9. It is also aimed at enabling a variety of business activities, such as video conferencing or running presentations directly from a PDA or other wireless device. The company announced in January that an Axim Pocket from Dell will include a 2700G multimedia accelerator later this year.

To help increase camera phone capabilities and quality, Intel has also incorporated Intel Quick Capture technology to support cameras delivering up to four or more megapixels of image quality.

Power Saving

The new processors uses Wireless Intel SpeedStep power saving technology. SpeedStep works by intelligently managing voltage and frequency changes similar to the technology used in the company's notebook processors.

So a 624 MHZ PXA270 processor, for example, will drop to 520 MHz, 416 MHz, 312 MHz, 208 MHz, 156 MHz, and 104 MHz depending on how the device is being used. Intel said this technology allows the new processors to use a lot less energy than the XScale processors found in current handhelds. One report places battery life as increasing by 42% when listening to MP3s and a whopping 77% when watching video at QVGA.

Security

For the first time, Intel has integrated security features through its Intel Wireless Trusted Platform into the silicon. This provides services such as trusted boot, secure storage of private information and cryptographic keys, and support for common security protocols. It can be used for Digital Rights Management, so mobile content can be licensed, for example, to a particular smartphone or PDA.

Smartphones

Intel is pushing its new processor line as a solution for the mobile phone market, an area where Motorola is king. With that in mind, the company has unveiled a concept design as an example of how to build a smartphone with multi-operating system support.

Developed with system integrator Intrinsyc, the concept design users Intel's new processor family along with the 2700G multimedia accelerator and 64MB of Wireless Intel StrataFlash memory.

The platform is the first design from Intel to support a number of wireless networks, or "modes" including cellular GSM/GPRS, Wi-Fi (802.11b) and Bluetooth technologies. The phone platform supports full-featured operating systems from companies like Microsoft, PalmSource, and Symbian as well as MontaVista, Linux and Java environments.

The Intel PXA27x processor family is available today in sample quantities, with volume production coming later this quarter.