ARM unveils 2016’s mobile CPU: the Cortex-A72

MANILA, Philippines – ARM Holdings (ARM) announced Tuesday, February 3, the new ARM Cortex-A72 processor – a faster, more efficient processor that will power devices in 2016.

The new A72 has a 64-bit octa-core structure that gives a huge upgrade to computing power, delivering ‘console-class gaming,’ graphics that will enable 4k video at 120fps, more fluid handling of applications and 3.5x more performance than 2014 devices based on the previous processor.

“For multiple generations, together with our partners, we have delivered the leading-edge of the premium mobile experience. Building on this, in 2016 the ARM ecosystem will deliver even slimmer, lighter, more immersive mobile devices that serve as your primary and only compute platform,” Pete Hutton, Executive Vice President and President of Products Groups at ARM Holdings, said.

The Cortex-A72 also has improved power efficiency, thanks to ‘big.LITTLE’ technology that automatically switches to lower powered cores depending on the load of the device. It cites a 75% reduction in power consumption when matched with same activities of 2014 devices.

The announcement also introduced the new Mali-T880 GPU that delivers 1.8x increase in performance while having a 40 percent drop in power use resulting in a console-like gaming experience. Additionally, it will be able to deliver 4k video at 120fps when all eight cores are used.

ARM has optimized the Cortex-A72 for Android Lollipop, allowing more performance despite slimming down on hardware without sacrificing battery life. It will also allow manufacturers to take advantage of 4GB or higher memory support.

ARM said that more than ten partners have already licensed the A72 including HiSilicon, MediaTek and Rockchip.

ARM is a family of designs – otherwise known as instruction set architectures – for computer processors made by British company ARM Holdings. They design the processors and license the building to various chip makers including Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Samsung.   – Rappler.com