LG Introduces Its First Octa-Core Application Processor

LG Electronics said Friday it has developed its own eight-core microprocessor to power a variation of its flagship G3 smartphone, the new G3 Screen, coming in Korea this week. The new AP, named NUCLUN (pronounced NOO-klun), was designed using ARM big.LITTLE technology. It employs four 1.5GHz cores (ARM Cortex-A15) for high performance and four 1.2GHz cores (ARM Cortex-A7) for less intensive processing. The number of performing cores can be adjusted based on the requirements of the task for maximum processing power or maximum energy savings. NUCLUN is designed to support the next generation of 4G networks, LTE-A Cat.6, for maximum download speeds of up to 225Mbps while retaining backward compatibility with current LTE networks.

"NUCLUN opens up a new chapter in LG’s history of innovation in the mobile industry," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "With this in-house solution, we will be able to achieve better vertical integration and further diversity our product strategy against stronger competition. NUCLUN will give us greater flexibility in our mobile strategy going forward."

So far, LG has relied mainly on Qualcomm for the chips that run its smartphones.

The NUCLUN will be built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), which also making chips for Apple.

But it’s too early to tell if LG’s internally-developed chipsets will bring the company success. Samsung-branded mobile processors, called the Exynos series, haven’t been a popular choice, even for its Galaxy lineup of smartphones.

As LG’s first smartphone equipped with NUCLUN, the G3 Screen inherits the design language, camera and UX features of the popular LG G3. The G3 Screen boasts a 5.9-inch Full HD IPS display and high fidelity 1W speaker. As the largest smartphone designed for LTE-A Cat.6 networks, the G3 Screen will deliver download speeds three times faster than regular 4G LTE networks. it will be exlusively released in Korea for 803,000 won ($760,) LG said.

G3 Screen Specifications: