Spreadtrum Unveils Range of LTE SoC Platforms

Spreadtrum, a fabless semiconductor company recently hosted its 2017 Global Partners Conference, "Infinite Chip, Infinite Intelligence", in Shenzhen, China.

The event witnessed more than 1000 Spreadtrum global partners including Intel, Reliance, Google, Mircomax, OPPO, VIVO, Gionee, Huawei, ZTE, Intex, Lava, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica, TRUE, Smartfren, Karbonn Alcatel and Dialog.

During the conference, Spreadtrum unveiled two complete series of high-performance but differentiated LTE SoC platforms: SC9853I and SC9850. In addition, Spreadtrum shared its 2017 marketing strategy and provided details on their latest products to the global audience in attendance. Spreadtrum also presented its innovative solutions on mobile communication and IoT (automotive terminal, broadband communication and financial security).

Built on Intel's 14nm foundry platform, Spreadtrum SC9853I is targeting the global mid and high-level smartphone market. It features 1.8GHz Octa-core 64-bit Intel Airmont architecture based processor, which enables SC9853I to offer a high-performance mobile computing ability coupled with ultra-low power.

The SC9853I supports LTE Cat-7 downlink and Cat-13 uplink for 5-mode communication standard (TD-LTE/FDD-LTE/TD-SCDMA/WCDMA/GSM), which can reach downlink speeds of 300Mbps and uplink speeds of up to 150Mpbs to achieve a true 4G+ on-line surfing experience. It also supports 1080P HD video playback, 18:9 FHD+ (1080*2160) screen display, and 16 megapixels resolution dual-cameras.

"Our first joint product was launched at Mobile World Congress earlier this year and we are pleased to continue our partnership with the release of Spreadtrum’s SC9853I SoC. The Intel Custom Foundry 14nm platform delivers industry leading PPA and offers turnkey foundry services and support. It is ideal for mainstream mobile designs that need high performance and low leakage,” said Dr. Zane Ball, Intel’s Vice President, Technology and Manufacturing Group, General Manager, Intel Custom Foundry. “Spreadtrum fully utilized all the advantages of Intel Custom Foundry’s 14nm platform and as a result, the SC9853l offers excellent performance and efficient power management which enhance the smartphone experience for global users.”

Spreadtrum SC9850 series is designed for overall entry and mid-level markets globally. It is equipped with a built-in Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 application processor, as well as ARM Mali 820 integrated 3D graphics accelerator. The SC9850 series supports five-mode communication standard (TD-LTE/FDD-LTE/TD-SCDMA/ WCDMA/GSM). It is also equipped with two-way carrier aggregation : Cat-7 Downlink (up to 300 Mbps) and Cat-13 Uplink (up to 150 Mpbs), 1080P HD video playback, 18:9 HD+ (720*1440) screen display and dual cameras up to 13 megapixels.

Meanwhile, both SC9853I and SC9850 series emphasize enhancing dual-camera processing capability. Both include a built-in 3DNR to boost night shooting, and features like refocusing, real-time face beauty, 3D modeling and AR. With Spreadtrum's exclusive EverMuLTETM technology, these products are able to offer dual-SIM, dual-4G, dual-VoLTE functionalities to enhance call experience. Both series support urban NFC payment application, and are integrated with sensor control centers to provide a total solution that can enhance users' experience.

Dr. Leo Li, Chairman and CEO of Spreadtrum, commented, "Spreadtrum’s LTE SoC platforms include the SC9853l, which is built on Intel Custom Foundry’s 14nm platform, using their highly-efficient computing capabilities and advanced technologies, and we are confident this will help our customers design more competitive smart terminal products. These platforms can offer better performance to meet the growing demand in the global LTE market. Additionally, these differentiated types of LTE chip solutions enable our customers to address multiple market segments when they develop their end products."