Many of the most popular smartphones on the market use ARM and ARM-based processors inside. In face both the Pre and the iPhone both use ARM-based processors to power all the high-end features we know and love.

ARM has offered up a hint of what the future of smartphone processors will look like with some details of the ARM Cortex-A9 processor. ARM is saying that device using the new A9 processor will ship in 2010. The Pre uses an ARM Cortex A8 processor.

The most interesting aspect of the A9 is that the processor is multi-core and can go all the way up to four cores. Despite having up to four cores and as much as twice the performance of the A8, the A9 will reportedly consume less power meaning longer battery life for the phones using the processor.

[via CNET]