Spreadtrum Communications has introduced its next-generation single-core smartphone platform for WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and EDGE, which integrates a Cortex-A7 CPU running at speeds up to 1.2GHz as well as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM connectivity functions. This solution is designed to further reduce the cost of entry-level smartphones while enhancing the user experience.

"Our single-core smartphone platform provides a rich user experience to the consumer who is buying a smartphone for the first time," said Leo Li, chairman and CEO of Spreadtrum. "By integrating connectivity, we are able to bring down the total device cost for our customers which can help further improve end-market retail prices. This can help further open up mass market demand globally."

Spreadtrum is introducing three new chipsets with the launch of the new single-core smartphone platform. The SC7715, which is sampling now, is a single-core WCDMA smartphone chipset with integrated connectivity, supporting WCDMA/HSPA+ and EDGE/GPRS/GSM standards. It integrates a single-core Cortex-A7 CPU running at speeds up to 1.2GHz, a Mali 400 GPU for high performance graphics, as well as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM functions. The chip also supports up to a 5-megapixel camera, 720p video and display resolution up to WVGA.

Spreadtrum is also sampling its next-generation single-core EDGE smartphone chipset, the SC6815, and will release a similar platform for TD-SCDMA, the SC8815, in the second quarter of 214.