Fortemedia releases new small array microphone which enhances voice quality and user experience in mobile communications
Samsung uses Fortemedia’s latest small array microphone to enhance voice quality in new handset products.

CUPERTINO, Calif.,-- Dec 30, 2008 --Fortemedia, a leading solutions provider for mobile phone noise suppression challenges, today released its unique 3rd generation SAM™ (Small Array Microphone) FM2018-380 especially for handset applications.

The power efficient FM2018-380 is utilized by Samsung in their latest mobile phone. It is the first Samsung feature phone to incorporate a two microphone solution. Fortemedia has built a partnership with Samsung to provide cost effective solutions to enhance voice quality and the user experience of a handset product since 2005. Over this time, Samsung has been using Fortemedia solutions in a variety of its mobile communication and consumer products.

Through detailed engineering evaluation at major handset companies, and through various compliance tests, handset developers have concluded that Fortemedia SAM™ technology not only suppresses the most of noise in acoustically impaired situations, but also provides good voice quality without uncomfortable artifacts. In addition to offering stationary and non-stationary noise suppression techniques for various harsh environments, Fortemedia’s product provides crucial features for handset applications, such as less power consumption, extensive acoustic know-how and dedicated engineering and manufacturing supports, making it easier for handset manufacturers to use this new technology in mass production with quality delivery.

“With a variety of success stories of handset design-ins and the massive accumulated shipping quantity, Fortemedia is leading the trend of providing the best voice quality and user experiences for the mobile communications industry. We are ready to support mass deployments with our third generation SAM, the FM2018-380, in terms of product maturity and economies of scale.” said Dr. Paul Huang, Chairman and CEO of Fortemedia. “We are excited that our product has been used in Samsung’s latest mobile phone, and we are certain this visionary product will bring a greater mobile experience to customers.”

Samsung has been out-growing the handset industry by continuously integrating the best technologies and solutions to enhance user experiences. “Samsung is committed to offering products with the best performance features that enhance user experience in every aspect”, said an Executive of Samsung Mobile and Communications Division “Since 2005, Samsung has been applying Fortemedia’s solutions to enhance voice quality in handset and other consumer products. We are pleased to work with Fortemedia to offer the enhanced voice quality and user experience in noisy environments with our mobile communications products. ”

The FM2018-380 builds on the proven Fortemedia mixed signal DSP SoC architecture that shipped over 20 million pieces to date. The FM2018-380 shows unprecedented performance as follows::
● A Listening Speech Quality TMOS score of 3.8 in ACQUA handset test under a noisy environment.
● Superior 35dB suppression for spot noise from sources orthogonal to the handset in use
● Impressive 27dB stationary noise suppression, commonly encountered inside a noisy car cabin.
● Excellent Acoustic Echo Cancellation with 54dB Echo Return Loss that enables double-talk capable
　hands-free speakerphone mode without echo impairment.
● A hard to match fast convergence time of non-stationary noise suppression; less than 100ms vs. 5 seconds
　of competing solutions offered by closest competitor.
● Easy hardware integration: drop-in noise suppression IC, transparent to O/S by virtue of its analog in
　and out signaling
● Low power consumption with 25mW typical power consumption with full features running
● Small physical footprint with 3.93mm X 2.04mm in 22-pin WLCSP package
● Ease of microphone placement for various types of phone ID designs

Fortemedia has been shipping products to leading handset companies and mobile service providers since 2005. In addition, Fortemedia has delivered more than 4 million pieces of SAM devices to mobile phones to date, more than any other merchant semiconductor vendor. Fortemedia’s innovative ideas and technology in noise-free communication technology have been widely recognized by the industry. In 2006, Fortemedia’s remarkable technology SAM has been adopted for DoCoMo’s FOMA™ Raku-Raku PHONE III handset. In 2007, Fortemedia’s SAM produce won an Honorary Award at the 10th Asian Innovation Awards held by The Asian Wall Street Journal. Lately, Samsung’s adoption of the advanced 3rd generation SAM FM2018-380 again proves Fortemedia’s leadership in the industry.