NVIDIA will release a mobile graphics chip that has more processing power than the current Xbox 360 sometime later in 2013 or 2014, the company said in ap presentation handed out to the media. The slide's projection for console performance does drop off at 2012. The solid lines represent estimated performance, with the dotted ones standing for trends.
Qualcomm delivered a message to smartphone SoC rivals by announcing a new chipset in its arsenal, the Snapdragon S4 ‘Pro.’ The Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960) has already posted impressive benchmark results, however, they have been biased towards pure processing performance. The new ‘Pro’ iteration will also ramp performance up on the graphics front with the addition of the new Adreno 320 GPU in place of the standard Adreno 225 GPU.
An unheard of device called the Pantech P4100 has been accidentally revealed by a NenaMark benchmark test. The device is likely a tablet and should arrive at AT&T. Processing power will come from a 1.5GHz Snapdragon paired with an Adreno 220 graphics core.
A very detailed roadmap for Qualcomm's future Krait-era Snapdragons has leaked that explains much of the mobile chips' path. The MSM8960 due late this year will be the high end for the end of 2011 and run its dual cores up to 1.7GHz while supporting dual-channel 500MHz memory as well as LTE 4G and 21Mbps HSPA+ for 3G. As seen by MobileTechWorld, the chip and its Adreno 225 graphics would be enough to record 1080p video at full speed and snap 20-megapixel photos in 3D.
Details of an upcoming Sony Ericsson handset have been revealed recently thanks to GSMArena. Codenamed Urushi and ST18i officially, the device is said to sport an 854x480 3.2- or 3.3-inch touchscreen and the same hardware specs as the company's existing Xperia Arc. This means a 1GHz Snapdragon chipset housing a Scorpion CPU and Adreno 205 GPU.
Intel on Thursday bought Silicon Hive in a sign of its deeper push into mobile. The former Philips company is best known for making chipsets for media processing in smartphones, media hubs and other small technology. Company chief Atul Sinha made it clear his company would be folded in to help improve the media performance of Atom system-on-a-chip processors.
HTC's Evo 3D may have been spotted under its working codename in a GLBenchmark test. The Shooter would be a high-end device running Android 2.3 and a 540x960 screen on Sprint's network. While the processor wasn't caught, the phone is running Qualcomm's new Adreno 220 graphics and would have to be a Snapdragon; original spotter Blog of Mobile has speculated that it would be a 1.2GHz dual-core chip.
China's ZTE took the opportunity at MWC to show off a new flagship, the Skate. The skateboard-inspired device will run on Android 2.3 and sport a 4.3-inch touchscreen. It houses an 800MHz CPU tied to an Adreno 200 GPU.
Sony Ericsson as promised tonight unveiled the Xperia Play. The Android 2.3 flagship is the first to support PlayStation Suite and is designed to not only run PS1 and original games with PSP-style controls but to run them well. A 1GHz Snapdragon with an Adreno 205 graphics core runs many games at the full 854x480 resolution at 60 frames per second.
Qualcomm today detailed the processor behind the HP TouchPad. It confirmed that the Snapdragon APQ8060 was launching first with the webOS tablet and had large amounts of headroom. The dual-core, 1.2GHz processor uses new Adreno 220 graphics and can play 1080p stereoscopic 3D, it said, even if the TouchPad didn't support it.
HP's Topaz webOS tablet had its detailed if early hardware specifications escape on Monday with evidence of a speed upgrade. The 9.7-inch slate should come with a dual-core, 1.2GHz MSM8660 Snapdragon processor and use the matching, 1080p-capable Adreno 220 graphics. Even with the added speed, PreCentral learned in the leak that the Palm team would be aiming for over eight hours of battery life with two 3,150mAh lithium-ion packs providing power.
What's claimed to be a direct sequel to Sony Ericsson's X10 mini has surfaced on Wednesday and promises to address any complaints about performance for the last version. It would run both Android 2.3 from the start and use a second-generation 1GHz Snapdragon, the combination of which would make it one of the fastest Android phones so far. An it168 forum goer's run-through of Qualcomm's Quadrant benchmark put it above the Droid X and Nexus One.
Imagination Technologies this morning said it had bought Caustic Graphics in what could be a major boost to the graphics on future iPhones and Android devices. The $27 million deal gives Imagination access to real-time raytracing technology and will improve the performance of PowerVR mobile graphics. The move will let phones and other mobile hardware get "cinema quality" lighting effects, Caustic CEO Chip Stearns said.
Acer today confirmed the existence of the Liquid Metal and gave it a launch schedule. A representative told Electricpig that the Android 2.2 phone is now slated to reach at least the UK by the end of October. The firm declined to confirm either the hardware details or pricing.
