Texas Instruments CEO Says TI Single-Chip Cell Phone Technology Gives Emerging Economies First Phones Today, “Complete Global Access” Tomorrow

“TI is pushing the limits of wireless technology. Today, TI’s DRP™ single-chip technology is enabling consumers around the world to buy their first cell phone,” Templeton said. “Tomorrow, mobile phones will give those in emerging economies complete, global access as well.”

Analysts already expect more than half of the world’s population to have cell phones by 2010, and many predict that a growing portion of those subscribers will have data and multimedia for the first time on a wireless handset instead of a PC or other electronic devices.

Templeton told the audience, “In Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, millions of new mobile consumers have entered the marketplace this year alone. And the people in these emerging markets want to be connected in a more personal way than just voice. TI is developing technology for its customers not only to help make mobile phones affordable but to provide the added entertainment features on the next billion phones so communications and entertainment can also be uniquely personal.”

He explained that today, only about 17% of the world’s population has access to the Internet, but mobile phones could take that number much higher, giving millions more subscribers their first opportunity to connect to people and information through the Web.

“Affordability is keeping this market healthy, along with adding features that keep the consumer’s appetite for upgrading their cell phone. We want to give more people the power of multimedia communication and complete global access wherever they are.”

Templeton touched on other TI technology advancements and said, “Given the increasing level of visual content available and the display limitations of small screen sizes, TI is working on technologies such as a micro DLP® projector for mobile applications, including cell phones.
Today we provide solutions for the world's smallest projectors through our DLP Technology. When used in conjunction with a cellular phone, these mini projectors can significantly enhance the viewing experience.
We believe these kinds of mobile solutions could revolutionize how cell phone content is viewed.”

Templeton completed his comments by introducing Greg Delagi, TI’s new senior vice president and manager of its Wireless Terminals Business Unit, who expressed his enthusiasm for the mobile phone market.

“We’re only at the beginning of the cell phone revolution,” Delagi said.
“Growth and innovation in this industry continue to be amazing, and the emerging economies are like the ‘wild, wild West’ as we pioneer in what we can bring to these consumers. At TI we’re using all the silicon muscle we have to build affordable solutions like ‘LoCosto,’ while at the same time we are making significant investments to differentiate our products all the way up through 3G and beyond.”

Delagi also laid out his blueprint for where TI’s wireless technology is heading, focusing on continued innovation around integration and open standards. “We want to make the mobile experience for every cell phone user more global, personal and affordable,” he said. “That means taking video and graphics to a new level and continuing to push the boundaries at the high end, integrating more consumer electronics functions to the handset.”

Alain Mutricy, vice president and general manager of TI’s Cellular Systems Solutions for its Wireless Terminals Business Unit, expanded on this strategy by announcing new advances in the company’s “LoCosto”
single-chip platform and its OMAP™ 3 architecture. “People everywhere want information,” he said. “They want to connect through voice, but they also want more, which is why we’ve made sure ‘LoCosto ULC’ for ultra-low cost handsets supports color, FM capabilities, cameras and MP3 players.” TI also announced that it plans to deliver the industry’s first 720p high-definition video playback and “life-like” 3D graphics for mobile phones with its OMAP 3 platform.

“One of the amazing things about the cell phone,” Mutricy said, “is that for many families in India, for example, it is their only electronics device. It connects them to friends, information and opportunities; it gives them access to radio, often for the first time, and it opens up for them a whole new world.”