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Broadcom GSM chip in Treo
This is a press release from earlier this week that did not get posted. A note about Broadcom and Silicon Labs. Previously we reported that Silicon Labs would be the chip in the Treo. We misread the press release. Silicon Labs is providing the transceiver while Broadcom is providing the GSM processor. The transceiver is the chip that interfaces with the different radio bands, while the GSM baseband processor does all the work in encoding/decoding voice, data, and etc. We apologize for any confusion.
Onto the press release:
 Broadcom Corporation, the leading provider of silicon solutions enabling broadband communications, today announced that Handspring has deployed the Broadcom® BCM2121 GPRS/GSM single-chip baseband processor in its latest smartphone offering, the new Treo 600. Recently announced, the Treo 600 combines a world-class phone and a Palm OS 5-based organizer with messaging, email and web browsing features into a small, powerfully efficient mobile communications phone and organizer device.
The Treo 600 is based upon the BCM2121 and uses the reference design and telephony firmware solution developed by Broadcom. Broadcom's complete mobile communications platform enabled Handspring to quickly come to market with a small smartphone loaded with extra features, including quad band support, a built-in digital camera and secure digital (SD) memory expansion. The Treo 600 smartphone was named "Best of Show" at CeBIT America and is expected to begin shipping in Fall 2003.
"Broadcom's production-ready GSM handset design, with silicon and firmware, dramatically improved our ability to produce an advanced smartphone that satisfies the critical demands of our carrier partners and customers alike," said Calin Pacurariu, Director of GSM products for Handspring, Inc. "The ability to pack so much functionality into a very small mobile device is a significant achievement and can be attributed in part to our close partnership with Broadcom."
"The Treo 600 smartphone exemplifies Broadcom's ability to help customers quickly come to market with new, innovative mobile communications products that will help stimulate the growth of phone and data services over wireless networks," said Tung Chang, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Mobile Communications Business Unit. "As the advanced capabilities of the Treo 600 demonstrate, our mobile communications product portfolio complements next-generation devices as they evolve to offer services that require higher data rates and additional multimedia capabilities."
Broadcom's GPRS/GSM Mobile Communications Platform Details
The BCM2121 is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) baseband processor chip that offers manufacturers an unprecedented level of system integration, performance and features for handsets and PC card applications. To accelerate customers' time to market with new products, Broadcom offers a handset system solution based on the BCM2121. This mobile communications platform includes a reference design that incorporates protocol stack, flexible software, application programming interface, application enablers and all layer 1/DSP software.
Broadcom enhances its industry leading technology solutions by offering a complete end-to-end solution, including target PCB form factor design, carrier interoperability testing (IOT) and a production support program that enables cellular handset and PC data card manufacturers to achieve significant time-to-market advantages.
Broadcom's Mobile Communications Products
The BCM2121 is part of a growing family of mobile communications products from Broadcom. Most recently, the company delivered the industry's highest performing EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) solution. This next-generation multimedia platform is centered on the BCM2132 single-chip EDGE/GPRS/GSM multimedia baseband processor, which enables high-speed, multi-slot Class 12 data rates of more than 236 Kbps over GSM-based networks. This proven EDGE platform will enable manufacturers to develop next-generation mobile communication devices that can connect to the Internet at data rates up to four times faster than existing GSM and GPRS wireless devices.
Broadcom's mobile communications products include the BCM2121, BCM2132 and the ML2011 GSM processor. Broadcom's proven expertise in mixed-signal and CMOS RF also enables the delivery of complete wireless, local and personal area network (WAN/LAN/PAN) solutions in mobile data communications with compelling, size, cost and performance benefits. Broadcom offers a wide range of innovative wireless products including solutions for EDGE, GSM, GPRS, IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth(TM), delivering on the vision of anytime, anywhere connectivity.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is the leading provider of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband communications and networking of voice, video and data services. Using proprietary technologies and advanced design methodologies, Broadcom designs, develops and supplies complete system-on-a-chip solutions and related hardware and software applications for every major broadband communications market. Our diverse product portfolio includes solutions for digital cable and satellite set-top boxes; cable and DSL modems and residential gateways; high-speed transmission and switching for local, metropolitan, wide area and storage networking; home and wireless networking; cellular and terrestrial wireless communications; Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway and telephony systems; broadband network processors; and SystemI/O(TM) server solutions. These technologies and products support our core mission: Connecting everything®.
Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and may be contacted at 1-949-450-8700 or at www.broadcom.com.
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