# ARM Cortex-A73

> 64 bit ARMv8 architecture processor

**Wikidata**: [Q24910504](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24910504)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Cortex-A73)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/arm-cortex-a73

## Summary
ARM Cortex-A73 is a 64-bit ARMv8-A microprocessor core designed by Arm Holdings, announced on 27 May 2016 as the successor to the Cortex-A72. It delivers higher performance and greater energy efficiency for premium smartphones and other mobile devices.

## Key Facts
- Announced: 27 May 2016
- Developer: Arm Holdings
- Architecture: ARMv8-A (AArch64)
- Peak clock speed: 2.8 GHz
- Instruction sets supported: A64, A32, T32
- Part of: ARM Cortex-A series
- Predecessor: ARM Cortex-A72
- Official product page: http://www.arm.com/products/processors/cortex-a/cortex-a73-processor.php
- Wikipedia languages: ca, en, fr, hu, ko, uk, zh
- Wikidata sitelink count: 7

## FAQs
### Q: What devices use the Cortex-A73?
A: The core is licensed to chipmakers who integrate it into SoCs; one example is Samsung's Galaxy A7 (2018) smartphone. Exact devices depend on the licensee's implementation.

### Q: Is Cortex-A73 64-bit only?
A: No. While it implements the ARMv8-A AArch64 architecture, it also supports the older A32 and T32 (Thumb) instruction sets for backward compatibility.

### Q: How is it different from Cortex-A72?
A: Cortex-A73 is the direct successor to Cortex-A72, offering higher performance and better energy efficiency within the same ARMv8-A ecosystem.

### Q: What is the top frequency?
A: Arm specifies a peak clock frequency of 2.8 GHz for Cortex-A73 implementations.

## Why It Matters
Cortex-A73 marked Arm's push for "efficiency-first" premium mobile CPUs. By raising per-clock performance while cutting power draw, it let handset makers extend battery life or slim batteries without sacrificing responsiveness. The core's small area and 10 nm-ready design also helped SoC vendors pack more features into mid- and high-tier chips, accelerating the move to 64-bit Android ecosystems and enabling thinner, lighter phones with sustained peak performance.

## Notable For
- First Arm high-end core optimized primarily for power efficiency rather than absolute peak performance
- 2.8 GHz peak frequency target set on 10 nm processes
- Maintains full ARMv8-A compatibility (A64, A32, T32) in a smaller footprint than Cortex-A72
- Widely licensed IP core that appears in multiple smartphone SoCs beyond Arm's own reference designs

## Body
### Architecture
Cortex-A73 implements the ARMv8-A architecture, supporting both 64-bit AArch64 state and 32-bit AArch32 state. The design emphasizes improved branch prediction, a wider out-of-order pipeline, and larger caches compared with Cortex-A72, yielding higher instructions-per-clock while reducing dynamic power.

### Physical Implementation
Arm delivered the RTL to licensees for implementation on 10 nm-class FinFET nodes. Target peak frequency is 2.8 GHz under typical voltage and thermal budgets; exact speeds vary by foundry process and SoC design.

### Product Positioning
Within Arm's portfolio Cortex-A73 sits above the efficiency-oriented Cortex-A53/A55 and below the later high-performance Cortex-A75/A76 series. It is intended for big.LITTLE clusters where it plays the "big" role, paired with smaller cores for background tasks.

### Market Introduction
Announced 27 May 2016 via Arm's official blog and product pages, the core entered consumer devices during 2017 as licensees such as MediaTek, HiSilicon, and Samsung LSI produced 16 nm and 10 nm SoCs.

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