What would people like from the next generation of eReaders? Well, they could be faster, have larger colour screens and longer battery life. Oh, and they could be cheaper.
A new chip from Freescale could help eReader makers achieve that. Freescale, which already makes chips for the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, has announced its new i.MX508 chip. The company says:
Freescale Semiconductor is helping drive down the cost of next-generation eReaders with its i.MX508 applications processor, the first system-on-chip (SoC) to integrate advanced ARM Cortex™-A8 technology together with the newest hardware-based display controller from E Ink. Freescale’s highly integrated i.MX508 processor is designed to deliver the performance, energy efficiency and system cost savings necessary to help OEMs evolve and grow the dynamic eReader product category.
What this means is that the new chip should be capable of supporting “next generation” eReader panels with better resolution and faster page turns. For less money.
The i.MX508 should be available to “select customers” in Q3 2010. Some sources are predicting that use of the new chip could push the price of the basic Amazon Kindle below $150, underlining the distinction between dedicated eReader hardware and general purpose tablet computers such as the Apple iPad.
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