NVIDIA has finally announced its quad-core ARM Cortex A9 Tegra 3 processor, previously codenamed “Kal-El,” that will deliver “PC-class performance” for tablets and smartphones. NVIDIA said the new chip will offer 3 times the graphics performance of its dual-core Tegra 2 chip and it will consume up to 61% less power. If a user is listening to music or using a phone in a way that does not demand a lot of power, the new chip will automatically throttle down to use a companion core. Once a user fires up a game, browses the Web, or performs a task that needs the extra power, the Tegra 3 processor disables the companion core and activates all four processing cores. In addition to the four cores and the companion core, Tegra 3 also has a 12-core GeForce graphics processing unit with support for stereoscopic 3D, new video engines for playing 1080p HD video and more. NVIDIA said Tegra 3 is in production now and one of the first products to ship with it will be the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Read on for the full press release and a video that shows off the chip’s gaming capabilities.

NVIDIA Quad-Core Tegra 3 Chip Sets New Standards of Mobile Computing Performance, Energy Efficiency

 Tegra 3’s fifth ‘companion’ core enables ultra-low power consumption, while advanced quad-core processors drive record-breaking performance

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Nov. 8, 2011— NVIDIA today ushered in the era of quad-core mobile computing with the introduction of the NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 processor, bringing PC-class performance levels, better battery life and improved mobile experiences to tablets and phones.  The world’s first quad-core tablet with the Tegra 3 processor is the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime.

Known previously by the codename “Project Kal-El,” the Tegra 3 processor provides up to 3x the graphics performance of Tegra 2, and up to 61 percent lower power consumption. This translates into an industry-leading 12 hours of battery life for HD video playback.

The Tegra 3 processor implements a new, patent-pending technology known as Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). vSMP includes a fifth CPU “companion”, specifically designed for work requiring little power. The four main cores are specifically designed for work requiring high performance, and generally consume less power than dual-core processors.

During tasks that require less power consumption – like listening to music, playing back video or updating background data – the Tegra 3 processor completely shuts down its four performance-tuned cores and, instead, uses its companion core. For high-performance tasks – like web browsing, multitasking and gaming – the Tegra 3 processor disables the companion.

“NVIDIA’s fifth core is ingenious,” said Nathan Brookwood, Research Fellow at Insight 64. “Tegra 3’s vSMP technology extends the battery life of next-generation mobile devices by using less power when they’re handling undemanding tasks and then ratcheting up performance when it’s really needed.”

The Tegra 3 quad-core CPUs are complemented with a new 12-core NVIDIA GeForce® GPU, which delivers more realism with dynamic lighting, physical effects and high resolution environments, plus support for 3D stereo, giving developers the means to bring the next generation of mobile games to life.

For the millions who play games on mobile devices, the Tegra 3 processor provides an experience comparable to that of a game console. It offers full game-controller support, enabling consumers to play games on their tablet or super phone, or connect to big screen HDTVs for a truly immersive experience. It also leverages NVIDIA’s award-winning 3D Vision technology and automatically converts OpenGL applications to stereo 3D, so consumers can experience 3D on a big screen 3D TV (via HDMI™ 1.4 technology).

The Tegra 3 processor provides the industry’s….

·         Fastest web experience – with accelerated Adobe Flash  Player 11, HTML5 and WebGL browsing, and an optimized Javascript engine

·         Fastest applications – with blazing performance for multimedia apps, such as photo and video editing

·         Fastest multitasking – for switching between common uses, such as playing music and games, and background tasks

·         Fastest, highest-quality gaming – including new Tegra 3 processor-optimized NVIDIA Tegra Zone™ app  games such as Shadowgun, Riptide GP, Sprinkle, Big Top THD, Bladeslinger, DaVinci THD and Chidori.

Highlights / Key Facts:

·         The Tegra 3 processor redefines power consumption and mobile-computing performance with:

o    The world’s first quad-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU

o    New patent-pending vSMP technology, including a fifth CPU core that runs at a lower frequency and operates at exceptionally low power

o    12-core GeForce GPU, with 3x the graphics performance of the Tegra 2 processor, including support for stereoscopic 3D

o    New video engines with support for 1080p high profile video at 40 Mbps

o    Up to 3x higher memory bandwidth

o    Up to 2x faster Image Signal Processor

·         40 games are expected to be available by the end of 2011, and over 15 Tegra 3 games are under development for Tegra Zone, NVIDIA’s free Android Market app that showcases the best games optimized for the Tegra processor.

·         The Tegra 3 processor is in production. Developers can order the Tegra 3 Developer Kit to create applications for devices with Tegra such as tablets and super phones, at developer.nvidia.com/tegra.

Notebook Italia recently posted a hands-on video showing off several features of Sony’s S1 Android Honeycomb tablet. The S1 was announced in April — alongside the S2 — and is set for a fall release, but Sony hasn’t provided many chances for press to check out the device first-hand. As the video shows, the S1 will be the first tablet to run Sony’s PlayStation Suite software, an application that provides access to Sony PlayStaton certified games and content, such as the Green Hornet trailer spotted in the video. The S1 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, which means you’ll get a top notch gaming experience out of the box. It remains to be seen if Sony will offer NVIDIA’s Tegra Zone gaming portal, too, but it will directly compete with the PlayStation Suite, so we doubt it. Hit the jump for the video.

[Via Business Insider]

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No, this isn’t April Fools. AmazonWireless is selling AT&T’s Motorola ATRIX 4G for $49.99 with a new two-year AT&T contract. That’s $150 less than AT&T’s $199.99 price tag. Sure, there’s been some hoopla about AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ performance on the ATRIX, but it still packs plenty of punch with a killer dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM, Android 2.2 (Froyo), and a sharper-than-diamonds 960 x 540-pixel display. AmazonWireless sweetens the deal even further by knocking $100 off of the Motorola Laptop Dock accessory, which typically retails for $399.99 when purchased separately. We called the ATRIX 4G one of the best Android smartphones to ever be available from AT&T when we reviewed it in February, so you know you’re getting some top-notch gear. The $49.99 deal is likely a limited-time offer, so don’t delay if you’re in the market for a new smartphone from AT&T.

[Via Gizmodo]

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Lurking in the corner of an AT&T media meet-and-greet, we spotted the recently announced Acer Iconia Tab A501 tablet. Set to launch in Q2 of 2011, the Iconia tablet is an Android 2.2 device with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and an HDMI-out port capable of 1080p video playback. The device has a weight comparable to the XOOM and G-Slate (feels a tad bit heavier) and has a form factor that lends itself to the portrait orientation. The unmodified Froyo operating system that the tablet we handled was running was a bit quirky to say the least, and we experienced lags while scrolling through basic menus and attempting to utilize the tablet’s multitouch capabilities. AT&T did tell us that the software version we got to demo was not final, so hopefully these wrinkles are all ironed out in the coming months. Pricing has yet to be disclosed, so we’ll wait to pass final judgement on the Iconia. In the meantime, be sure to check out our gallery!

Chip manufacturer NVIDIA today announced the release of the Tegra Zone application for Android smartphones and tablets. Available in the Android Market, Tegra Zone “delivers a curated selection of Tegra processor-optimized games, as well as professional game reviews, high-res screenshots, HD video trailers, gameplay videos and behind-the-scenes featurettes.” Launch titles currently available in TZ include Samurai II: Vengeance, Dungeon Defenders: First Wave Deluxe HD, Galaxy on Fire 2 THD, Backbreaker THD, Fruit Ninja THD, Vendetta Online, and Monster Madness. If you’re rocking a Tegra device and you’re interested in checking out the new app, hit up the Market and have yourself a download.

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Are Google and HTC planning to launch an Android tablet on Verizon Wireless before the holidays? According to Download Squad, yes. They even have the launch date pegged for November 26th — Black Friday, of course! While it isn’t a surprise Google wants this thing out in the market ASAP, it is a little strange that this is the first we’re hearing of it. In any case, if the rumors hold true, we could be looking at a very heavily subsidized device by Verizon. Possibly even free, though $199 would sound more reasonable. As far as specifications go, here is what’s being reported: the device will most probably be based on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 platform, have 2 GB of RAM, a 32 GB SSD, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, front-facing camera, and a 1280 x 720 multitouch display. Now, couple that with the rumored Motorola and Samsung tablets and we’d say Google really isn’t playing around anymore.

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Apparently during his speech to Execute Club, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha talked about more than video calling in future devices. According to ConceivablyTech, Jha also said that before the year’s end his company plans on launching an Android superphone powered by a 2GHz processor. While this alone is more than enough to whet our appetites, Jha wasn’t too keen on saying more. So it’s a good thing then that a different Motorola exec was willing to talk under the condition of anonymity. According to the mysterious one, the handset Jha was talking about will feature an NVIDIA Tegra GPU, camera with “more than 5 megapixels” and HD video recording, HD display, 720p out, Flash 10.1 and gyroscope. This might sound like a bit of a fanboy’s fantasy phone, but we’re willing to keep the faith. How about you?

[Via Know Your Cell]

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The fine folks iFixit have once again teamed up with Chipworks to tear down one of the greatest latest gadgets to hit the scene in the KIN TWO. Before you tune out and keep on scrolling, we should let you know that a lot of impressive stuff was uncovered after cracking the thing wide open. So without further ado, here’s a summary of what was found. The brains of the phone, a NVIDIA Tegra APX2600, are sandwiched together with memory in a four die, chip-on-chip package. The 8 megapixel IMX046 image sensor from Sony takes up only .5mm³ and has a pixel size of 1.4 micrometers. Other chips include a Qualcomm QSC8065 and a Texas Instruments WL1271A that takes care of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the FM Radio. The digitizer is a Clearpad made by Synaptics, and the USB 2.0 transceiver is an incredibly tiny 4mm². Pretty crazy to think that there’s so much advanced technology in a cheap featurephone, right?

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More Zune Phone rumors are again hitting the scene, this time the rumor of the day is originating from the Spanish blog muycomputer. They claim that Microsoft will be unveiling the long-rumored Zune Phone at Mobile World Congress 2010. According to their inside source, the Zune Phone will be introduced by Microsoft with NVIDIA by its side and will even feature an NVIDIA Tegra processor, leading muycomputer to surmise that the handset will indeed be a Zune HD with phone and PDA functionality probably provided  courtesy of Windows Mobile 7. The discovery of phone references within the Zune’s inf file is certainly suggestive of the existence of such a Zune Phone but we will have to wait a few more weeks to find out if this rumor is worth its salt.

[Via Gizmodo]

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NVIDIA unveiled the next generation of its Tegra mobile processor at CES yesterday, promising to deliver tablets, smartbooks and smartphones with a blazing web browsing experience, HD video, Flash 10 support and multi-day battery life. Rather than go on and on, we will simply let the Tegra 250 specs speak for themselves:

• The world’s first dual-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU running up to 1GHz
• Eight independent processors to handle web browsing, HD video encode and decode and mobile 3D gaming
• 10x faster than the processors used in smartphones today, and up to 4x the performance of the previous generation Tegra processor
• Advanced TSMC 40nm process with active power management to provide amazing battery life (140 hours audio and over 16 hours of HD video playback) despite being always-on and always-connected
• Support for 3D touchscreen user interfaces
• Up to 1080p video encode/decode and support for HD Web streaming formats and complete HW accelerated HD multimedia engine for visually stunning movie playback
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 acceleration for streaming video and 3D mobile games
• Resolutions ranging from four-to-eight times that of smartphones
• Form factors and screen sizes ranging from 5-15 inches

This second iteration of the Tegra mobile chipset is in the production stage with a development kit ready and waiting for eager programmers to build applications for this next generation in mobile computing. While you wait for those drool-worthy mobile devices to emerge, you can check out a 3D gaming demo showcasing the prowess of the Tegra 250 chipset. And oh yeah, remember that the video blow is from a mobile device, not an Xbox 360.

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For those wondering why Windows CE is the OS of choice for the upcoming Mobinnova élan, observe. We got our first dose of élan love sans-trade show floor chaos yesterday from the team at netbooknews.com and as promised, today we get a look at the software side of things. One word: Sick. Mobinnova’s Henry Lin drops by this time to help show off the ridiculously sexy 3D UI the company slapped together for this little guy and we have to say, we’re impressed. NVIDIA’s Tegra processor facilitates very smooth transitions for a graphics-heavy UI — and all this on software that isn’t yet in its release state. We said it about ASUS’ Eee Keyboard and we’ll say it about the élan; we want 10 of them and we want them now. As a side note, a quick tip for the camera operator on this vid: Next time try to hit an angle from the get go so your reflection doesn’t bounce back every time the screen goes dark. It’s ok though, we still love you for bringing us some solid élan goodness… And for sticking out your tongue. Hit the jump for the vid and get ready to want this bad boy even more than you did yesterday.

Thanks, TheLostSwede!

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Call it a netbook, call it a smartbook or call it whatever else you want — the bottom line is the Mobinnova élan is one of several upcoming miniature notebooks we can’t wait to see reach market. Beyond the sexy styling, intelligent design and integrated 3G connectivity, the élan will likely be the first NVIDIA Tegra-fueled notebook to reach market. Mmm, Tegra. The 8.9-inch screen on this puppy is just itching to cough up some sexy accelerated video and the battery/power management supposedly affords up to 10 hours of continuous HD video playback on a single charge or up to 24 days of continuous audio playback according to Mobinnova. Despite its distracting pink shell, the guys over at netbooknews.com just issued a solid little hands on video of the élan (thankfully, it wasn’t shot in the middle of a show floor) that gives us all plenty of reasons to have our interest re-piqued. Hit the jump for the video of the sexy little Windows CE-powered smartbook, which by the way is due for release sometime in Q4.

Thanks, TheLostSwede!

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