Allwinner A31 SoC is here with products and the A20 SoC, its A10 pin-compatible dual-core is coming in February 2013

With it even Qualcomm was left significantly behind (see the latest status of its SoCs intended for the 2013 market in: Qualcomm quad-core Cortex-A7 SoCs with Adreno 305 and 1080p coming for the high-volume global market and China [Dec 9, 2012])

Update: A31 Introduction by Allwinner Technology Co., Ltd [ARM Partners site, March 13, 2013]

A31 features:

• Quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU utilising 40nm ARM POP Technology
  • Cortex-A7 is the most power efficient application processor from ARM, and incorporates all the features of the high-performance Cortex-A15. Allwinner A31 processor is based on the quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU architecture, greatly improving the computing capability and reducing the system power consumption.
  • ARM POP IP provides the best Performance/Power tradeoff enabling ARM partners with core-optimized Physical IP, PPA [Performance, Power, and Area] predictability through ARM certified benchmarking and Time-to-market through ARM knowledge transfer.
• UHD 4Kx2K video decoding
  • Allwinner A31 processor is capable of UHD 4K video decoding and Blu-ray 3D playback. It supports various mainstream video formats, including Mpeg1/2, Mpeg4 SP/ASP GMC, H.263, H.264, etc.
• Dual-channel DDR, Dual-channel NAND Flash
  • Allwinner A31 features 64-bit DDR and 16-bit NAND Flash, making faster data read and write available.
• PMIC AXP221
  • PMIC AXP221 is specially made for A31 processor, which is capable of dynamic voltage and frequency adjustment. A31 processor can support up to 30 days standby time.

Update: http://www.amazon.cn/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=183568 [Dec 20, 2012] as translated by Google

昂达V812四核版全球首发 The world premiere of the quad-core version Onda V812 [Amazon China]

brand: Onda
Onda (ONDA) V812 quad-core version 16G MID black
Onda (ONDA) V812 quad-core version 16G MID white

Price: ¥ 999.00 Price: ¥ 899.00 [US$ 144]

Update: Information on the Onda on-line shop page for the product [Dec 17, 2012]:

Onda V812 Tablet PC 8 Inch IPS Touch Screen RAM 2GB Android 4.1 16GB White

SKU:50174

$179.90

Quick Overview

Onda V812 Tablet configured a 8 inch IPS screen with 1024*768 resolution. Onda V812 is installed with Android 4.1.1 OS. Onda V and support Android 4.2 update, Onda V812 adopts All Winner A31 Quad Core chip and strong 8 Core [not, just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here] Power VR SGX544MP2 GPU.Onda V812 have White and Black version, will lead a new time of 8 inch Quad Core Android Tablet PC.

Onda V812 will support pre-order on Dec 17th,2012.All pre-orders will send a HDMI cable as a gift.Thank you for your attention.

Onda V812 White Features:

OS:  Android 4.1.1 support Android 4.2 Update
CPU: AllWinner A31 Quad Core
GPU: Power VR SGX544MP2 8 Core [not, just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here] 1MB L2 Cache
RAM     2GB，DDR3
Storage 16GB
Shell Material     Metal
Screen: 5 Points Capacitive Touchscreen, 1024*768 High-resolution Screen
Size:   8 inch
Resolution:  1024*768 IPS
Gravity Sensor:   Yes
Visible Angle: 178°
Display:  IPS
Daul Camera: Camera, Back 5.0M with Auto Focus, Front 0.3M
Android Market     Yes
WIFI Dispaly: Support
WIFI Direct: Support

Onda V812 White Tablet Details:

Brand    Onda
MPN    Onda V812 Quad Core
Extend Card     Support TF card up to 32GB extended
Gravity Sensor     Yes
Multi-Touch     Yes, 5 points touch
Android Market     Yes
HDMI: Support
Skype     Yes
3G :   support external 3G dongle
Email and Browser: Yes, built in
WIFI:    802.11b/802.11g / 802.11n
Video: 4K HD Videp Play with formats of MP4/3GP/3G2/RM/RMVB/ASF/FLAC/APE/MOV etc.
Music     MP3/WMA/FLAC/APE/WAV/RA/Ogg/MIDI/3GP etc.
Ebook     UMD, TXT, PDF, HTML, RTF, FB2…
Earphone Interface     3.5mm
Battery : Li-Poly 6000mAh

Onda V812 White Tablet Weight:  550g
Onda V812 White Tablet Size: 199.8*152.5*9.8mm

Onda V812 White Tablet contain:

1 x Onda V812 Quad Core White
1 x USB cable
1 x Charger

Payment:
* We accept PayPal,Western Union,Wired Transfer.

The bigger, 10” model with Retina display, Onda V972 went to the Amazon China sale on the same day for $208 as it was earlier (see below in the original post for the specification).

http://www.amazon.cn/昂达-V972四核版-16G-MID-黑色/dp/B00APB5QQM [Dec 17, 2012]
End of updates

On the Allwinner Technology’s current homepage [from Dec 7, 2012] the major attractions of the new A31 SoC are represented by five Flash graphics composed here into one and on the A31 product page explanations (shown here on the left) are given for each of the “magic numbers” shown on the first Flash graphics (all shown here in a composite image):
[Note in January, 2013: the third Flash image now is gone, it contained wrongly the 8 logic cores, just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here]
Additional information on the product page:

FEATURES

Quad-Core Mobile Application Processor

CPU

• ARM Cortex-A7 Quad-Core
• 256KB L1-Cache
• 1MB L2-Cache

GPU

• POWER VR SGX 544
• Eight logic cores [just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here]
• Comply with Open GL ES2.0, Open CL1.x, DX 9_3

Video

• UHD H.264 4K ×2K @30fps video decoding
• Full HD video decoding
• BD Directory, BD ISO and BD m2ts video decoding
• H.264 High Profile 1080P@60fps encoding
• 3840×1080@30fps 3D decoding
• Comply with RTSP, HTTP, HLS, RTMP, MMS streaming media protocol

Display

• Dual-Channel LVDS 1920 ×1080@60fps
• 4-lane MIPI DSI 1920 × 1200@ 60fps
• Dual-Channel RGB/CPU 2048 ×1536@60fps
• Integrated HDMI 1.4 4K ×2K@ 30fps

Camera

• Integrated Parallel & MIPI I/F sensor
• Integrated Powerful ISP, supporting Raw Data CMOS sensor
• 5M/8M/12M CMOS Sensor supported
• 8/10/12-bit RGB Bayer sensor supported

Memory

• Dual-Channel LPDDR2/DDR3/DDR3L Controller
• Dual-Channel NAND FLASH Controller
• 64-bit ECC

PMIC [Power Management IC]

• A31exclusively tailor-made PMIC AXP221
• 21-CH power output and 2.2A Flash charging
• Comply with USB 3.0 power supply standard

Audio

• Integrated HI-FI 100dB Audio Codec
• Three MIC
• One MIC with Noise cancellation

OS

• Support Android 4.2 or up
• Support Microsoft Windows 8

APPLICATIONS

Quad-Core Mobile Application Processor

Tablet    Smartphone     Smart Tv    Smart PC

Indicating Microsoft Windows 8 as supported is especially intriguing feature so I highlighted it here in the red. In fact I did not expect that at all.

There is also a block diagram for the A31 SoC:

This disclosure was two days after the launch of a topmost A31 tablet product from Onda (GizmoChina sent the message about the upcoming launch as early as Dec 2):

Onda V972 Quad Core 9.7 Inch Retina Screen RAM 2GB Dual Camera Android Tablet PC 16GB

Availability: Out of stock

[as it is indicated in the comments that pre-order will begin in mid-December]

$239.90

Quick Overview

Onda V972 Quad Core is the first Allwinner A31 Quad Core Onda Android Tablet.Onda V972 Quad Core adopt A31 Quad Core CPU and 8 Core [just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here] Power VR SGX544MP2 GPU,can perfect support 3D Games.Onda V972 configured a 9.7 inch Retina IPS screen with 2048*1536 High-resolution.What’s more, Onda V972 build in Apple iPhone 4 OV Camera that insure consumers a nice experience with it.

Details

Onda V972 Quad Core is the first Allwinner A31 Quad Core Onda Android Tablet. Onda V972 Quad Core adopt A31 Quad Core CPU and 8 Core Power VR SGX544MP2 GPU,can perfect support 3D Games. Onda V972 configured a 9.7 inch Retina IPS screen with 2048*1536 High-resolution.What’s more, Onda V972 build in Apple iPhone 4 OV Camera that insure consumers a nice experience with it.

Onda V972 Quad Core Features:

OS:  Android 4.1.1 support Android 4.2 Update
CPU: AllWinner A31 Quad Core
GPU: Power VR SGX544MP2 8 Core [just 2 cores each with 4 shaders/pipelines see here] 1MB L2 Cache
RAM     2GB，DDR3
Storage 16GB
Shell Material    Aluminum shell
Screen: Capacitive Touchscreen, 2048*1536 High-resolution Screen
Size:   9.7 inch
Resolution:  2048*1536 IPS
Screen PPI:264
Gravity Sensor:   Yes
Visible Angle: 179°
Display:  Retina IPS
Camera     Daul Camera Apple iPhone 4 OV Camera,Back 5.0M with Auto Focus,Front 2.0M

Onda V972 Quad Core Tablet PC Details:

Brand    Onda
MPN    Onda V972 Quad Core
Extend Card     Support TF card up to 32GB extended
Gravity Sensor     Yes
Google Play: Pre-installed
Multi-Touch     Yes, 5 points touch
Android Market     Yes
WIFI Dispaly: Support
WIFI Direct: Support
USB: USB 3.0
HDMI:Support
Skype     Yes
Email and Browser: Yes, built in
WIFI:    802.11b/802.11g / 802.11n
Earphone Interface     3.5mm
Video:4K HD Videp Play with formats of MP4/3GP/3G2/RM/RMVB/ASF/FLAC/APE/MOV etc.
Music     MP3/WMA/FLAC/APE/WAV/RA/Ogg/MIDI/3GP etc.
Ebook     UMD, TXT, PDF, HTML, RTF, FB2…
Work Time: Up to 8~10 hours
Battery : Li-Poly 8000mAh

Onda V972 Quad Core contain:

1 x Onda V972 Quad Core
1 x USB cable
1 x Charger

Onda V972 Quad Core Weight: 550g

Onda V972 Quad Core Size: 242*187.5*9.8mm

Liliputing learned about this from CNXSoft and commented on Dec 6 that:

Chinese tablet maker Onda has unveiled one of the first tablets featuring Allwinner’s new quad-core processor. The Onda V972 is powered by an Allwinner A31 chipwhich features 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores.

The tablet also features PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics with support for HD video, 3D graphics, and high pixel displays. That’s a good thing — because the Onda V972 also packs an iPad-like 9.7 inch, 2048 x 1536 pixel display.

Onda’s new tablet also packs 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, front and rear cameras, and an aluminum case. There’s also a microSD card slot for extra storage.

It runs Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but there are already plans for an Android 4.2 software updated. The 9.7 inch tablet weighs about 1.4 pounds.

Onda says the tablet should be able to get up to 10 hours of battery life from its 8000mAh battery.

The Onda V972 should be available from the sort of shops that ship Chinese tablets to the US soon. It’s expected to sell for about $240.

PhoneArena’s reporting the next day was based on that (as well as Android Authority’s):

If you are in store for a tablet with a great screen, up until the recent Nexus 10, you had little choice aside the 9.7-inch Retina iPad. But iPad prices start from $500 and the Nexus 10 starts from $400, which might not be expensive, but is not cheap either. Now, there is another option – a Retina display 9.7-inch tablet for $240.

If you thought China, you are spot on. The Onda V972 is the product we are talking about and it is packing quite the muscle for merely $240.

First of all, it has the same 9.7″ capacitive IPS display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels as the iPad. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (with plans to get soon updated to 4.2), is almost as thin as the iPad and weighs almost as much at 1.4 pounds (649 grams).

The good does not end here. With 2GB of RAM it actually beats the iPad, plus while it has 16GB of internal storage you can expand this with microSD cards. There is both a rear and front facing cameras at 5MP and 2 megapixels.

Amazingly, it also packs an 8,000mAh battery that is said to last between 8 and 10 hours.

The Onda V927 does not support 3G out of the box, but you can use a separate dongle to get cellular data.

Not just that, it has a quad-core processor as well, but here is the catch – it is a less powerful Cortex A7-based one. They just had to take at least one shortcut. Even with that the $240 price tag seems amazing, even too good to be true. And one thing we are sorely missing is high-res images of the device.

Then even engadget was alerted from that.

The Onda V972 launch was quite remarkable which you can read from a PCPOP report dated Dec 6 (if you translate that by Google or Bing). It is indicated there that Miracast support will be available as well (with Android 4.2 as Miracast is only supported in that). In fact this refers to the following Flash graphics on Allwinner’s homepage:

which is worth to repeat here as it is a remarkable advancement especially together with another Flash graphics:

where the attached text says “A31 can decode 4Kx2K” which means Digital cinema. Read more about that in section 5. of my large trend tracking post of the ‘Allwinner phenomenon’ on ‘Experiencing the Cloud’ blog which is about “The wireless display and 2160p (“Quad HD”/4K) outlook”. You should then understand quite clearly how much Allwinner moved even ahead of such industry heavyweights as Qualcomm. (Note that Qualcomm’s latest information about its best 2014 capabilities you can understand from my post on ‘Experiencing the Cloud’ titled Qualcomm quad-core Cortex-A7 SoCs with Adreno 305 and 1080p coming for the high-volume global market and China [Dec 9, 2012]).

Back to the PCPOP Onda/A31 launch report I will add here the following two photos:

Leading the world’s top 4K HD video playback, 4x 1080P
i.e. an easy to understand explanation
of the various video playback formats

i.e. in China the tablet is going to the market for as low $208!

Considering all that was given above and the second paragraph of the PCPOP report:

The “Onda V972 quad-core version of” the world’s first full-Chi A31 quad-core processor, and is also the world’s first tablet PCs based on ARM’s latest A7 quad-core architecture, with the most state-of-the-art flat-panel processor, performance is fully spike mainstream A9 dual-core tablet, so the tablet PCs faster and more responsive. Onda V972 quad-core version of “the first time in the flat with up to 1M secondary cache, like the processor on the highway, there is no bandwidth limitations, will bring more than 2 times the data processing, transmission speed, significantly enhance the tablet experience. A31 quad-core processor low-power technology, ensuring powerful performance of the tablet, but not any increase in power consumption and heat processor ARM optimum power and performance than the.

in a rough translation by Google, or

“Onda V972 quad-core version” is the world’s first all interested A31 quad-core processor, is also the world’s first ARM-based tablets new A7 four-core architecture, has the most advanced Tablet processor, performance is a comprehensive second kill mainstream A9 dual-core tablet, tablet computers are faster and more responsive. “Onda V972 quad-core version” also is first in tablets equipped with up to 1M secondary cache, as if the processor on the highway, no bandwidth limits, will bring more than twice times for data processing, transmission speed, impressive experience to Tablet. At the same time, A31 low power quad-core processor technology, ensure the tablet’s powerful performance, without any increase in power consumption and heat, is to ARM the optimal power and performance than the processor.

in another rough translation by Bing.

There are reports about other tablets based on A31 as well:
– Teclast P98
– ICOO ICOU10GT
– Colorfly CT972-Q and CT974
– Ployer MOMO20 (note that Ployer will exhibit on CES 2013)
– Ampe A10, see also its tear down on GizmoChina, from which I include the following photo:

The current Allwinner SoC lineup for so-called HD tablets, as well as for the 3G/4G tablets is represented by the company as:

	A31	A20	A10
CPU	Quad-Core Cortex-A7	Dual-Core Cortex-A7	Single-Core Cortex-A8
GPU	SGX544MP2	Mali-400MP2	Mali-400
Screen Size	13.3”, 10.1”, 9.7”	10.1”, 9.7”	10.1”, 9.7”
Resolution	2048 × 1536 1920 × 1200 1024 × 768	1024 × 768 1024 × 600	1024 × 768 1024 × 600
Video	4K × 2K	2160P	2160P
Memory	2GB DDR3/DDR3L/LPDDR2	1GB DDR3/DDR3L/LPDDR2	1GB DDR3
Wireless	WIFI+BT+GPS+3G	WIFI+BT+3G	WIFI+BT+3G
OS	Android 4.2 or up	Android 4.2 or up	Android 4.2 or up

Note: Allwinner lists also a separate category, the 13.3” tablet when the 1024 × 768 resolution is excluded. The attached illustration is looking quite Microsoft Surface like:

So there is an A20 SoC as well which is dual-core Crortex-A7 only, and also its GPU is Mali-400MP2 which is a dual core of the Mali-400 GPU which was introduced on the A10 a year ago.

A detailed A20 product page was also available for some time with the following content (from webcache):

CPU

• ARM Cortex-A7 Dual Core
• 128KB L1-Cache
• 512MB L2-Cache

GPU

• ARM Mali400 MP2
• Dual core

Video

• HD H.264 2160P video decoding
• Full HD video decoding
• BD Directory, BD ISO and BD m2ts video decoding
• H.264 High Profile 1080P@60fps encoding
• 3840×1080@30fps 3D decoding
• Complies with RTSP, HTTP, HLS, RTMP, MMS streaming media protocol

Display

• Dual-Channel LVDS 1920 ×1080@60fps
• 4-lane MIPI DSI 1920 × 1200@ 60fps
• Dual-Channel RGB/CPU 2048 ×1536@60fps
• Integrated HDMI 1.4 4K ×2K@ 30fps

Camera

• Integrated parallel 8-bit I/F YUV sensor
• Integrated 24-bit parallel YUV 444 I/F
• 5M/8M CMOS sensor support
• Dual-sensor support

Memory

• LPDDR2/DDR3/DDR3L Controller
• NAND FLASH Controller
• 64-bit ECC

Audio

• Integrated HI-FI 100dB Audio Codec
• Dual MIC noise cancellation

 

with A20 block diagram:

AllWinner A20 is also pin-compatible with AllWinner A10, so existing products may soon be available for this low cost version.

Update: from Allwinner Technology Co., Ltd. 2013 International CES Exhibitor Details page

Allwinner Technology is a leading Mobile Application Processor Provider, especially for tablets, Smartphone and Smart TV. Allwinner has launched quad-core A31 in Dec, 2012 and will launch another A10 pin-compatible dual-core A20 in Feb, 2013.

Allwinner envisages much wider area of application for its A-series SoC line than simply various tablets. On the lower part of its homescreen there is the following guidance, to which I will add here the A-Series SoCs shown for a given category (if any):

Mobile	Home	Vehicle	Featured
Tablet: A31, A20, A10, A13 Smartphone: A31, A12, A13 E-ink Reader: A13 Smart PC: A31 PMP Sports DV: A31, A20, A10	Smart TV Stick (HDMI Dongle): A31, A20, A10, A10s Android Box: A31, A20, A10, A10s Building Intelligence (Visual Intercom System): A31, A20, A10 Video Speaker (Visual Bombox): A13 Video Radio (Visual Radio): A13	Vehicle Media Center: A20, A10 Car DVR: A31, A20, A10 Car MP5	Document Camera: A10 Interactive Whiteboard: A10