Marvell announces 64-bit Armada PXA 1928 SoC

At MWC 2014 we saw several chip makers unveil 64-bit SoCs including MediaTek, Qualcomm and Intel. Marvell also has something of the 64-bit variety to show us this week, with its new Armada system-on-chip. The new Armada PXA 1928 is based on the new ARMv8 architecture and features four 1.5GHz Cortex A53 cores, accompanied by a Vivante GC5000 GPU, which has full support for 1080p displays and video recording.

Moving past the GPU and CPU, the Marvell Armada PXA 1928 packs tons of other features including LTE Cat 4, TD-HSPA+, LTE TDD/FDD, HSPA+, EDGE, and also supports multi-radio, CSFB, and VoLTE voice solutions. You’ll even find connectivity features like 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, and NFC. Lastly, Marvell’s latest chip offers advanced mobile security features such as root key protection, secure boot and more.

[quote qtext=”I am very proud of Marvell’s contribution to the fast growing 4G LTE industry and the successful launch of world’s first 1,000RMB LTE smartphones since last December. The 64-bit ARMADA Mobile PXA 1928 is the latest addition to our industry leading single-chip multi-core mobile processor family. 4G LTE is such a critical technology for the ‘Smart Life and Smart Lifestyle’ vision. I believe that through continued innovation, invention and dedication our talented global engineering teams have yet again raised the technology bar in advancing the mobile industry. Our mission and passion at Marvell are to make the world a better place for all.” qperson=”Weili Dai” qsource=”President and Co-Founder of Marvell” qposition=”center”]

So what kind of products will the PXA 1928 likely end up in, and from what manufacturers? Generally speaking, Marvell chips are most popular in set-top boxes for televisions or in budget-oriented tablets, though sometimes they make their way to smartphones as well. The chip maker has a fairly strong working relationship with Chinese brands such as Lenovo, Hisense and Coolpad as well.

Marvell says it will begin sampling the Armada PXA 1928 in March, and will support both Linux and Android.