Marvell is extremely well known when it coems to storage, communications, and consumer silicon solutions, and the company has recently lifted the veil on the 88W8689 Bluetooth single-chip solution that boasts a Bluetooth Core Specification Version 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)-compliant baseband, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and a worldwide FM radio receiver. This highly integrated device is capable of offering the user enhanced data rates as well as extended range features without breaking the bank, lowering the total system cost in the process while consuming an even lower amount of power.

Capable of supporting simultaneous use of Bluetooth applications and FM radio, the 88W8689 supports the brand new Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR features. The presence of the 88W8689 alone enables Marvell to offer other component and device manufacturers a comprehensive set of Bluetooth 2.0-enabled products which cater to high volume consumer markets. This highly integrated chip was specially designed to offer the best performance possible for both voice and audio transmissions, giving even more leeway to integrate Bluetooth functinality into mobile, low-power consumer devices.

Marvell is targeting manufacturers of cellphones and portable media players, hoping that Bluetooth connectivity will be found in every of such device rolled out in the near future. The Marvell 88W8689 is currently undergoing the sampling process with important tier-one customers and will enter production sometime in Q3 2007 onwards. This means you won’t see any device take advantage of the new 88W8689 chip anytime soon, but next year would be a safe bet.

Source: BIOS