Dual-core processors are one of the next wave of hardware improvements to hit the mobile platform. While several manufacturers have dual-core processors under development, NVIDIA and its Tegra 2 processor may be the first to dual-core hardware to land in consumer devices. According to DigiTimes, Motorola, LG, and HTC have all placed orders with NVIDIA for Tegra 2-equipped devices.
LG recently confirmed that it will use the Tegra 2 processor in its upcoming line of high-end Optimus devices which include both smartphones and at least one tablet device. One of LG’s first dual-core smartphones, the LG Star, was spotted and partially detailed earlier this week. DigiTimes hints that NVIDIA’s dual-core processor may also land in LG’s Optimus-branded slate device, the Optimus Pad.
Motorola is also rumored to be jumping on the Tegra 2 bandwagon with an Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet that will debut in February to March 2011. This summer a rumor surfaced that suggested Motorola was working with Google on an Android 3.0 tablet that was headed for Verizon. The latest intel about this rumored tablet device claims the Motorola slate was delayed until early 2011, a time frame that matches the date cited in the DigiTimes report.
While the details regarding the Motorola tablet and LG smartphone may be based upon rumors and speculation, the information about the Tegra 2 is spot on. The Tegra 2 is ready to rock and roll and its dual-core processing power will find its way to devices soon.
This SoC (system on a chip) offering from NVIDIA is a powerhouse with dual ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processors running at 1GHZ, 1080P HD video encoding/decoding, HDMI out, support for up to a 12MP camera, and a display resolution of 1680×1050. Anyone else looking forward to a dual-core device and a whole new baseline for bench-marking in the not so distant future?
[Via DigiTimes]