Thin And Rich

A new set of chips gives super-slim cellphones the power of laptops.

Think of Toshiba's TG01 cellphone as the world's smallest PC. It powers 3-D games, plays high-definition movies, and smoothly runs many programs at once, a combo few other phones offer. Yet it's less than four tenths of an inch thick — 20 percent thinner than an iPhone — thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon system, which packs several previously separate chips into one case the size of a dime.



Short Circuit: Courtesy Qualcomm
Snapdragon builds in a speedy one-gigahertz processor (about as powerful as a budget laptop's) as well as a graphics chip, a GPS receiver, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, and a fast cellular data chip that can work on any network. By putting all these pieces in one package, Qualcomm can eliminate the usual bulky cover around each individual chip. The compact result won't hog your battery, either — the main processor boasts low-power transistors and runs at top speed only when needed. Even at full tilt, it sips only half a watt, far less than other processors that run at around the same speed.

The TG01 hits Europe this summer. Qualcomm says other gadget manufacturers, including Samsung and LG, will release Snapdragon phones later this year, possibly here in the U.S.