Spansion NOR Flash Memory Pre-Qualified On MediaTek Reference Design Platforms

Beijing -- Spansion Inc. announced that its MirrorBit NOR Flash memory has been pre-qualified on MediaTek's reference design platforms for mainstream handsets. Headquartered in Taiwan, MediaTek Inc. is one of the world's top ten fabless semiconductor companies for wireless communications and digital media solutions. The pre-qualification of Spansion's Flash memory solutions in MediaTek's reference design platforms will enable manufacturers to get cost-effective, high-performance phones to market faster in China and other high-growth regions.

China is expected to be among the world's top three regions as the key driver of new handset models for the next several years. For operators and handset OEMs seeking to increase their new subscribers in emerging regions, the mainstream phone segment is often seen as the sweet spot for tapping new users.

"Simplifying the design process is crucial for device manufacturers to reduce time to market for new handsets," said JiChang Hsu, senior vice president of MediaTek. "With Spansion's highly reliable and pre-qualified memory solutions, we are able to streamline the design process and provide cost-effective solutions to customers, allowing them to address the growing demand of advanced multimedia features in mainstream handsets."

Spansion and MediaTek have been collaborating over the last three years on highly efficient reference design solutions for a number of memory platforms, including wireless systems, digital TV and DVD players.

Spansion's MirrorBit NOR and ORNAND memory solutions deliver high- performance code execution and data storage with a single-platform approach, which allows OEMs to scale their offerings from basic, entry-level phones up to very high-end, fully featured phones.

"With the surge in new subscribers and handset unit growth, China is a very strategic region for Spansion's future wireless business," said Ahmed Nawaz, executive vice president and general manager, Wireless Solutions Division, Spansion. "By collaborating with MediaTek and pre-qualifying Spansion's Flash memory solutions in their reference design platforms, we are bringing added value to handset manufacturers, so that they can more efficiently bring their latest handset designs to market and satisfy the demands of China's discerning new users."

SOURCE: Spansion