Broadcom puts 3G phone on a chip

US chip shop Broadcom unveiled a “3G Phone on a Chip” Monday morning – a single chip HSPA processor, integrating the key 3G technologies on a low power, single 65 nanometer CMOS die.

Broadcom reckons the platform will allow handsets manufacturers to build 3G HSUPA phones with sleek form factors and very long battery life at a fraction of the cost of today’s offerings.

The chip designer said the platform would effectively make 3G available to the mass market.

The HSUPA processor will allow consumers to download content at up to 7.2Mbps and upload content such as pictures and videos at up to 5.8Mbps.

The BCM21551 3G “Phone on a Chip,” combines a HSUPA baseband, a multi-band RF transceiver, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, an FM radio receiver and transmitter, up to 5 megapixel camera support, and 30 frame per second video with TV Out.