ARM rolls out Mali GPU for cheaper Android tablets

Chip designer ARM Holdings has unveiled its latest offering for the mobile market -- a graphics processing unit (GPU) that doubles the performance of its predecessor and is intended for smart-TVs and low-cost Android™ devices.

According to ARM, the Mali™-450 is designed for high performance and power efficiency. Both are expected among tablet users these days, as are high-definition graphics in most cases. The Mali-450 accomplishes this by reusing the available resources of the tablet during graphics operation.

According to news provider Techworld, GPUs tend to be among the most expensive parts when building a tablet or smartphone and can also take up a great deal of space. ARM is hoping to curb that by offering decent graphics performance on a chip that doesn't require much room to operate.

Graphics performance on the Mali-450 won't be the best available, but Ian Smythe, director of marketing for ARM's Media Processing Division, says it will be able to handle video playback and gaming -- more than enough for the casual tablet user.

Cost has proven to be a major part of Android's success in the tablet market. The Mali-450 is designed to help tablets check in at less than the $499 standard set by Apple® and its iPad®. IDC forecasts Android to account for 36.5 percent of the tablet market by the end of 2012, though by implementing technology that helps drive the cost of the devices down, it may be able to capture a higher percentage in the coming years.