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VIA says Eden X2 is world's most power-efficient dual-core processor
Following close behind the low-power Nano X2 comes the Eden X2, or what VIA is calling "the world's most power-efficient" fanless dual-core processor. While we've yet to see any official numbers, the original Eden did 500MHz on one watt of power, so we should see similarly thrifty specs here. Aside from that, the unit houses two 64-bit cores in a 21 x 21 millimeter package, is compatible with Windows CE and Linux operating systems, and was built using a 40-nanometer manufacturing process. The Eden X2 made its debut at the World Embedded conference this week, and should make it to the real world by the end of Q2. Full PR after the break.
Samsung's Exynos 4210 flexes 3D gaming muscle at GDC 2011 (video)
What might Android gaming look like on a Samsung Galaxy S II? You're staring it in the face right now. We spotted Samsung's Orion / Exynos 4210 at GDC 2011, showing off the power of its dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPU and Mali-400 graphics on a nice big 1080p television screen --- with a completely playable asteroid obstacle course that ran at a butter-smooth 60 frames per second in stereoscopic 3D. ARM representatives told us the chip actually has even more headroom, but was actually constrained by its HDMI 1.3 port, and could push stereoscopic content at up to 70fps if their reference board had HDMI 1.4. When we asked if there were any plans to publish the TrueForce space shooter demo, ARM said it might indeed be done; the company's thinking of releasing it on the Android Market as a benchmark of sorts.
LG Optimus 2X coming to Europe in March, a little later than planned
European dual-core aficionados were promised their fix way back in January from LG, however the Korean company's delivery schedule evidently slipped a tiny bit as we're today bidding adieu to the month of February. Good news is that LG will definitely, totally, honestly be releasing its Optimus 2X in "key European markets" this March. It'll ship with Froyo on board, however a Gingerbread update is expressly promised, which should allay fears of being left with a very powerful but outdated piece of hardware. Last time we looked, Amazon's German branch had priced this handset, to be known as the Optimus Speed in Deutschland, at just under €500, which sounds about right for its eventual unlocked price.
Samsung's Galaxy S II to have a Tegra 2 version?
Just as we lay to rest the ghost of a phantom Tegra 2 chip inside the LG Revolution, here comes the specter of another unconfirmed appearance for NVIDIA's dual-core application processor, this time inside Samsung's Galaxy S II. If you'll recall, we were initially informed by Samsung's PR crew that their new Android flagship would run on NVIDIA's hardware, however a subsequent correction informed us that the processor inside would in fact be Samsung's own Exynos. Now, it turns out, both might be true. AnandTech have come across some benchmark results showing a GT-i9103 with Tegra 2 listed as its grunt provider, while Pocket-lint and others have noted that Samsung's own spec sheet for the Galaxy S II states that the dual-core Exynos "may not be applicable in some regions." The likeliest scenario here is that Samsung hasn't yet reached sufficient volumes with its own processor production and will rely on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 for handsets outside its critical markets -- much in the same vein as it replaced Super AMOLED with Super Clear LCD screens in Russia and some other territories. Don't fret too much, though, performance disparities between the two aren't likely to be overly significant.
Motorola Xoom vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 vs. LG G-Slate -- battle of the Tegra 2 Honeycomb tablets
Hello, Moto -- no wait, Samsung... or is it LG? Three of the world's biggest smartphone makers have leapt at the opportunity to serve up Google's brand new Honeycomb build of Android, however their selection of menu items looks to be somewhat lacking in diversity. Motorola's Xoom matches Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 in both screen size and resolution (1280 x 800), while LG's Optimus Pad / G-Slate offers only marginally smaller measurements with an 8.9-inch display spanning 1280 x 768. More than that, all three tablets run the bone-stock Honeycomb UI and are built around NVIDIA's 1GHz Tegra 2 system-on-chip, leaving little room for differentiation on the basis of user experience or internal performance (LG would have you believe its 3D camcorder is a big advantage for its slate, but we're not so sure). Most choices between the three, then, will come to things like brand loyalty, ergonomics and pure, basic aesthetic appeal. To help you judge the latter of those three points, we've prepared an exhaustive barrage of side-by-side photos below -- we expect you to view every last one of 'em... at least twice. %Gallery-116882% %Gallery-116881% %Gallery-116879%
Samsung Galaxy S 2 and 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet leaked on Korean website (Update: high-res shot!)
Uh oh, looks like someone got the wrong date for Samsung's MWC keynote. The above screenshot is captured by the eagle-eyed folks at Moveplayer, who spotted what appears to be an embargoed article about the Galaxy S 2 (or Galaxy S II) over at Korean news site Paran. While the offending press shot has since been removed, the text remains intact with the following specs: Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 4.3-inch display, 1GHz dual-core processor, HSPA+, Bluetooth 3.0, and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi. Additionally, Paran says that this new handset weighs 116g (4.09 ounces) and is 8.49mm thick -- which is close to, if not the, thinnest smartphone device we've heard of yet. (For the record, the Xperia Arc is 8.7mm at its thinnest point.) The article also mentions that 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet that we heard of yesterday, confirming it will pack a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera with "full HD" video recording, and dual surround sound speakers. Sounds promising, but only time will tell whether all this is true or simply a matter of lost in translation. Update: OK, so we've done some spying and can confirm that both devices are very real, and their specs look legit. Update 2: Oh snap! Samsung Hub managed to get hold of a high res press shot of the Galaxy S 2 before it got pulled off the Korean sites. It sure resembles the Infuse 4G with an extra home button. We've posted the pic after the break for your viewing pleasure. [Thanks, Tran Quoc Hop]
Samsung dubs its mobile processors Exynos, dual-core 4210 (formerly Orion) arriving next month
We've been talking about Samsung's Orion processor for some time, the dual-core successor to the well-received Hummingbird core of 2010 -- but Orion was a codename all along. What will you be calling these two slices of high-performance silicon by the time they finally grace a phone of yours? "Exynos 4210," it turns out, as the Orion becomes the first member of Sammy's newly-branded Exynos line of application processors. We'd already known that the company was targeting the first half of 2011 for Orion's commercial release, but they're ready to get a little more specific now... and the news is good: production begins next month, which might line up nicely for some announcements the company has in store for MWC next week. Here's hoping! Follow the break for the release.
Qualcomm gets official with TouchPad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 processor
HP already put out the first official word about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon APQ8060 processor yesterday when it revealed that its TouchPad was based on it, but Qualcomm's now also come out and properly announced the new processor itself. That's, of course, a dual-core processor, and comes paired with an Adreno 220 GPU that Qualcomm says helps to deliver "unprecedented processing and 3D graphics performance." What's more, while the TouchPad is the first device to use the processor, it obviously won't be the last, and Qualcomm has now also given us an idea of what sort of capabilities those devices (including smartphones in addition to tablets) might have -- namely, cameras up to 16 megapixels, and the ability to capture and display 1080p stereoscopic 3D video or 8 megapixel stereoscopic still images. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Broadcom announces yet another Android-friendly dual-core processor
Broadcom is giving Google a lot of love of late, with the announcement of its second Android-ready processor in as many months hitting us today. The new BCM28150 is a big step up from its predecessor (released in December), and sports a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 at 1.1GHz; an HSPA+ modem doing 21Mbps; and Broadcom's VideoCore IV VPU (vector processing unit). What's more, it touts 12-megapixel camera imaging, 3D video and gaming at 1080p, HDMI out, and the obligatory Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS amenities. If the BCM28150 is your bag, Broadcom plans to demo the thing in Barcelona next week, but if a trip to Spain is too rich for your blood, you can always check out the PR after the jump (and keep it locked right here for our own MWC coverage, of course).
LG Optimus 2X review
The world cried out for a dual-core smartphone and LG and NVIDIA answered the call. Actually, the world only ever dreamt about multicore mobile architectures up until late last year, but sometimes that's all it takes to get those zany engineers engineering. So here we are, in early February 2011, beholding the world's first smartphone built around a dual-core processor, the Optimus 2X. This is a landmark handset in more ways than one, however, as its presence on the market signals LG's first sincere foray into the Android high end. Although the company delivered two thoroughly competent devices for the platform with the Optimus S and T in 2010, they were the very definition of mid-range smartphones and the truth is that Samsung, HTC and Motorola were left to fight among themselves for the most demanding Android users' hard-earned rubles. So now that LG's joined their ranks, was the wait worth it? %Gallery-115835%
HTC Pyramid emerges from the mists of speculation with a 1.2GHz dual-core, 4.3-inch screen, T-Mobile 4G
First Sprint got a 4G-capable, 4.3-inch Android phone from HTC, then this January AT&T (Inspire 4G) and Verizon (Thunderbolt) received promises of the same. Is T-Mobile feeling left out? It might not be for long, as the rumor mill has just churned out a rather mighty 1.2GHz dual-core beast of a handset and is ascribing it to the Magenta network for a launch some time around May or June. We're hearing it'll come with qHD resolution (960 x 540, just like the Atrix 4G) and the SOC within will be that famed Snapdragon MSM8260 that Qualcomm teased briefly at CES a couple of weeks ago. Lending credence to this scuttlebutt is the fact that both TmoNews and Android and Me found sources affirming the Pyramid's existence, leaving us only to wait and wonder about what we can do with a device of its kind. {Image credit: Nina Aldin Thune]
LG teases Optimus 3D, only without the 3D (video)
We're not sure what's going on with the new teaser video released by LG. It looks like the handset that Phandroid pegged as the Optimus 3D a few days ago and has since become the poster-boy for the device that will officially include a glasses-free 3D LCD and "dual-lens camera for 3D recording." While we can see the front-facing cam, try as we might we just can't see that pair of lenses on the back of the handset teased in the video. In fact, we don't see any camera at all leading us to believe that LG might be manipulating the image for a big reveal in a few weeks. The video does drop some spec hints with phrases like "something bigger" and "dual core -- multi channel" which would seem to indicate a 4.x-inch display (presumably the 4.3-inch 3D display we spotted at CES), dual-core SoC (like LG's Optimus 2x), and multi-channel RAM as originally rumored by Phandroid. Guess we'll have to wait for Mobile World Congress to know for sure. Get your monster truck on with the teaser video embedded after the break. Update: We've been told that the phone is definitely a manipulated Optimus 3D.
LG Optimus 2X 1080p video surfaces, captures a slow day at the docks
Since we reported that the Tegra 2-based LG Optimus 2X was slated to hit Korea and Europe this month, we've been dying to check out its 1080p video recording capability. Lucky for us, someone in Greece has uploaded a video to YouTube that was apparently recorded on the smartphone, and the results, well, decide for yourself. While we're impressed by the video quality (digital zoom excepted) the subject matter leaves something to be desired: a shaky camera slowly pans a port full of docked fishing boats. Sure, we'd like to see some more action, but this sample still has us excited about getting our hands on our very own Optimus 2X. HD video after the jump.
RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook using a 1GHz OMAP 4430 processor
We already confirmed that RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was deadly fast in use, but up until now, we've still been left to wonder what kind of silicon was powering it. According to a RIM representative that spoke to us just now on the CES show floor, a dual-core OMAP chip from Texas Instruments is doing the honors -- more specifically, it's the blisteringly fast 1GHz OMAP 4430. And now, you know.
Motorola Atrix 4G, HD multimedia dock, and laptop dock hands-on
Earlier today, we got a complete demo and some seat time with the Motorola Atrix 4G for AT&T at Motorola's CES event, including its HD multimedia dock and laptop dock. The phone looks similar to the Samsung Vibrant, but with a black screen bezel and a tastefully patterned matte back cover. Build quality is very good, as we'd expect from a Motorola device. The QHD (960 x 540) display is gorgeous and the phone feels ultra snappy, thanks to the dual-core processor running Froyo. In fact, despite still running preliminary firmware, we recorded a blazing 2,616 score on the Quadrant test. The power button at the top back of the Atrix 4G also serves as a fingerprint reader, and there's a dual-LED flash flanking the 5 megapixel camera. Check out the gallery below and read on for the details -- and the complete demo on video -- after the break. %Gallery-112834%
Ambarella's Cortex A9-based iOne is the smartphone processor of your dreams... but it's for your camera
You may not have heard of Ambarella factoring into the smartphone processor race alongside Qualcomm, TI, and Samsung, and there's a good reason for that: they don't do smartphone processors. Rather, these guys are in the business of making video and photographic processing chips, and their latest -- the iOne -- is a doozy. Starting with a dual-core Cortex-A9 at 1GHz, the iOne adds in an extra ARM11 core at 533MHz dedicated to handling camera functions and ensuring ready times of under one second. It's capable of real-time encode and decode of H.264 1080p video content at 30fps and includes a GPU that can run OpenGL ES 2.0 for what we can only assume would be the wildest camera UI you've ever seen. What kind of beastly point-and-shoot is this, anyway? Well, Ambarella envisions cameras running Android before too long, and when you think about it, the hardware difference between a smartphone and a digital camera is getting smaller by the day -- so it would make sense that this iOne sounds so much like something we'd like to have powering our handsets. We can dream, can't we? Follow the break for the press release.
Broadcom announces dual-core BCM2157 processor, promises high-end features for cheap Android phones
As you might have heard, 2011 is shaping up to be a big year for dual-core smartphones, and it looks like you can now officially count Broadcom in on the act. It's just announced its new dual-core BCM2157 platform that provides both HSDPA modem connectivity and applications processing courtesy of some dual-core, 500MHz ARM11 processors. The platform as a whole is also designed to support features like HVGA multitouch displays, 5-megapixel cameras, and mobile hotspots, among other standard fare -- all of which is specifically tailored for Android devices. That obviously doesn't place the processor at the high-end of the dual-core spectrum, but Broadcom says it will allow companies to "deliver high-end smartphone features on more affordable 3G Android handsets," and that's surely a goal we can all get behind. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
Nokia to revamp Symbian UI, ship dual-core phones in 2011
We don't have any hard details yet, but Computerworld reports that Nokia's planning a busy 2011, with four to five updates to the Symbian UI on tap, as well as dual-core phones. The information comes courtesy of Nokia senior manager Gunther Kottzieper, who gave a presentation at the 2010 Internation Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing earlier today -- a slide labeled "Nokia Symbian 2011 focus areas" indicated that a Q1 Symbian update will include over 50 features, including a more intuitive browser, while second- and third-quarter updates will add "a new look and feel for the user interface, a more flexible home screen, an updatable HTML5 browser and an easier software update experience." A hardware-related slide tipped upcoming 1GHz phones with more graphics memory in the second or third quarter, as well as dual-core phones and something called a "true zoom camera" in late 2011 or early 2012. (We're guessing that means an optical zoom, which would be just wild on a mobile phone.) Ignore this morning's E7 delay and all of that sounds like evidence of renewed focus at Nokia under new management -- and it also sounds like Nokia taking over Symbian development might have lit some serious fires. We're dying to look at these slides ourselves -- we'll keep digging and let you know.
LG Star preview
<div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/lg-star/preview/"><img border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/10x1210fbfu5xbd.jpg"/></a></div> The LG Star. The dual-core beast from the east that was once a mere <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/exclusive-lgs-4-inch-android-phone-with-dual-core-tegra-2-and/">twinkle in our eye</a> has managed to find its way to the Engadget mansions, having been lent to us by a very generous (and very anonymous) tipster. It's clearly a test device, as evidenced by its diagnostics menus and lack of a lockscreen, but there's no disguising the power that lies within it. We put the Star through a battery of common Android benchmarks and the results were, in a word, outstanding. Basically, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/all/tegra2">Tegra 2</a> will give anything your <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/smartphone-buyers-guide-the-best-phones-for-atandt-verizon-spr/">current phone</a>'s running an inferiority complex. Join us after the break as we delve deeper into this upcoming powerhouse of a handset from LG. One thing's for sure: CES 2011 can't come soon enough.<br /> %Gallery-110305%
TI's OMAP4440 processor brings two blazing Cortex-A9 cores to the table
Phones and tablets based on TI's first production OMAP4 processor -- the OMAP4430 -- won't even be on the market until early next year, but TI's already planning ahead with the announcement of an upgraded chip that promises a 50 percent boost in overall performance. The new OMAP4440 can send its two Cortex-A9-based cores as high as 1.5GHz, while the 4430 tops out at 1GHz; TI says that means we should expect a 1.25x improvement in graphics performance, a 30 percent decline in webpage load time, and 1080p playback performance that doubles the slowpoke (comparably speaking, anyway) 4430. The company expects to sample these little speed demons to manufacturers in the first quarter of next year with volume shipment coming in the second half, itching to do battle with Samsung's Orion; in the meantime, we suppose your 4430 will have to do. Follow the break for the press release.
