ZTE and Nvidia team up for the first Tegra 4 phone!

   Last year Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor didn't end up inside too many smartphones, instead manufacturers tended to put the Tegra 3 inside their tablet devices, with the HTC One X, One X+ and the LG Optimus 4X HD being the notable exceptions. This trend has seemingly carried forward into this year too, with a distinct lack of phone manufacturers being forthcoming in their adoption of the Tegra 4 chipset, possibly because it won't be launching until Q2. Which may explain why we've seen HTC and Sony opt for Qualcomm's new Snapdragons on their high end smartphones. 

   That's not the end of the story though and fear not Tegra lovers, you'll soon be treated to your Tegra 4 chipset courtesy of Nvidia and ZTE! A smartphone, which is currently being developed, will come with a Tegra 4 as well as an additional i500 LTE chipset. This will mean you'll get your full 72 graphics cores, 12 of which you'd be missing if you were to get the Tegra 4i processor instead.

   The device will supposedly be with us before the 'mid-year' and ZTE explained how, 'This is a clear demonstration of ZTE’s ability to quickly develop, and bring to market, market-leading devices running the industry’s latest technologies.' We'll let you know when we hear more, but in the mean time the full press release is embedded below!

Via Slashgear.

ZTE and NVIDIA Partner to Launch First Tegra 4 Super Phones2013-02-21
New Devices to Feature 72 Custom GPU Cores, Quad-Core Cortex-A15 CPU,
Icera i500 LTE Chipset for High Performance, Power Efficiency, Fast 4G Networking

21 February 2013, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment, network solutions and mobile devices has announced that it is partnering with NVIDIA to deliver the first super phones powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 mobile processor, with the first models to reach the market before mid-year.

ZTE has a long-term strategic partnership with NVIDIA and expects to launch the first Tegra 4 super phones in China in the first half of 2013. The Tegra 4 processor was only announced by NVIDIA in January, at the CES 2013 exhibition in Las Vegas.
“This is a clear demonstration of ZTE’s ability to quickly develop, and bring to market, market-leading devices running the industry’s latest technologies,” said Mr. He Shiyou, ZTE EVP and Head of the Terminal Division.

The NVIDIA Tegra 4 will enable the ZTE devices to deliver ultra-fast web browsing, improved app load times, more realistic gaming experiences and great battery life – thanks to the processor’s 72 custom NVIDIA GeForce® cores and quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU.

Tegra 4 also enables worldwide 4G LTE voice and data support through an optional chipset, the NVIDIA i500 processor. ZTE and NVIDIA are also planning a new LTE super phone using the i500 LTE chipset for blazing-fast networking.

These new devices build on ZTE and NVIDIA’s success with previous smartphones such as the Grand X, the first smartphone powered by both the Tegra processor and NVIDIA’s Icera modem; the Grand Era super phone with Tegra 3; and the U950, the first premium quad-core smartphone with Tegra 3 priced below $160 USD.

"We’re proud to continue our pioneering partnership with NVIDIA and are looking forward to offering more Tegra-powered devices, which are defining a new generation of phones offering premium mobile computing experiences,” said Mr. He. "Our Tegra 4 smartphones will provide full HD entertainment and multimedia experiences that consumers will love."

"ZTE's newest super phones will show off Tegra 4's processing power, efficiency and unprecedented capabilities,” said Phil Carmack, Senior Vice President of the Mobile business at NVIDIA. “They’re a great example of what the market expects from one of the world's largest phone makers."

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Google to opt for Qualcomm processors in next Nexus 7?

   Qualcomm may well have their processors in lots of phones, primarily because of the way their chips offer manufacturers the best of connectivity and power. At the moment though, Qualcomm doesn't have too much of a presence in the Android tablet arena and Qualcomm have admitted themselves that they are a bit behind Nvidia's Tegra range when it comes to tablets.

   With that in mind it is interesting to hear rumours that Google is considering switching to Snapdragon processors for the refresh of the Nexus 7, which is also supposedly going to arrive with a full HD 1920 x 1080 p display!

   Analysts believe that the processor will swap out last years Tegra 3, not for a Tegra 4 chip, but for one of Qualcomm's APQ8064's:

“Supply chain conversations indicate two reasons for Google’s selection of the Snapdragon APQ8064 over Tegra 4: competitive pricing, and a decision to single-source the application processor and 3G/4G modem to simplify logistics and create a fully pin-compatible platform interface.”

   If the rumours are to be believed then we can expect Google to show off the new Nexus 7 at Google I/O in May this year!
Via UnwiredView.

Via UnwiredView.

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CES 2013: A summary of Nvidia's keynote!

Nvidia Grid!

   The first thing Nvidia showed off to the world this year was their re-brand of the GeForce Grid, which is now Nvidia Grid. For those of you who haven't heard of this 'The Grid' is a rack-based server that has support for up to 24 individual racks at a single time which offers a total 240 GPUs and 200 teraflops of computing prowess! Something which Nvidia compares to 700 Xbox 360s!

   Nvidia showed off upcoming cloud gaming clients for Android tablets and the Xbox 360 that will utilise the Grid and they look to have some potential! One fantastic feature is the ability to find your previous work on the game even if you stop playing on one device and pick up another, something which we can see being useful for those cloud connected commutes!

   If you're wondering what sort of games will be coming to this then at the moment Nvidia is working with Agawi, Cloudunion, Cybercloud, G-cluster, Playcast, and Ubitus and we'll let you know if and when we hear more about this because Nvidia hasn't made it clear when this will be available to the consumers, but we'll let you know when we hear more!

You can find the full press release here!
Via TheVerge.

The Nvidia Tegra 4 Processor!

   The last few years Nvidia's line of Tegra processors has set the standard for mobile processors which everyone else races to keep up with. This year is no exception as the Tegra 4 really is a powerhouse!

   Just like it's predecessor, the Tegra 3, the Tegra 4 is set up with the '4-plus-1' system, so less intensive tasks can be handled by the lower power single core and when heavy lifting is required the other cores take over and do the work. But, there's also a fair few enhancements here too. 

   Firstly the Tegra 4 uses the newer A15 architecture, which led Nvidia's CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, to says that Tegra 4 is the world's fastest mobile processor, surpassing everything currently on the market. Nvidia hasn't revealed the clock speed options of the Tegra 4's yet, has there is a whopping 72 GPU cores, so everything should be buttery smooth! There's no official word at the moment on what sort of manufacturing process is used when making the Tegra 4, but rumours suggest Nvidia has opted for the 28nm manufacturing process, which again should aid power consumption!

   One nifty feature is the processors ability to take high dynamic range (HDR) photos instantaneously, which will undoubtedly build on Android's instant photo feature, but it'll take the quality to a new level!

   This processor does support LTE, but it is not integrated LTE, which will negatively impact battery life. Qualcomm doesn't currently offer an integrated LTE option, but they're widely expected to have one ready by the end of Q2 this year!

The full press release is available here!
Via TheVerge.

And finally, the Nvidia Project Shield!

   Every year companies announce something we haven't had any word of and things we genuinely didn't expect. This was the 'and finally' moment in Nvidia's keynote and it's also their wow announcement. Pictured above is Nvidia's Project Shield; an Android powered games handheld which is powered by the Tegra 4 processor and has the ability to play console-quality games on an essentially mobile device. 

   The key features of this device include the ability to push 4K video through HDMI to external displays, yes that's 4K! There's also 'advanced sound processing' which Nvidia claims will trump Beats Audio-equipped laptops, and there's a solid 33Wh battery which will provide five to ten hours of gaming time or around about 24 hours of HD video playback.

   The device itself will include a 5-inch, 720p 'Retinal' multitouch display which offers a PPI of 294 and there's also a micro-SD card slot for storing all that in-game content. Naturally the device is powered by Android and it's vanilla Android too, there is absolutely no skinning and there's Play Store compatibility and all of Google's Apps are available for the device too! 

   But, the gaming options don't end there; instead the Shield also gives you the option to stream games from a home Windows PC which will have to be rocking a GeForce GTX 650 (or higher) graphics card. From there you can access your library of PC games over Wifi, you'll also be able to use your Steam library! The way this works is the Shield runs the games virtually, so your PC does the heavy lifting. In the future, Nvidia wants to give you the option to stream content from the Shield to a television wirelessly. This will let you watch video and play games on your TV display without the need for a tonne of wires!

   At the moment there's no word on pricing but it will be coming to the US and Canada at some point in Q2!

   There's a cool little video which shows off the clamshell design really nicely embedded below!

You can find the full press release here!
Via TheVerge.

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18/12/2012: Samsung announces the Galaxy Grand while the Galaxy Young Duos is tipped, Facebook to get video ads, Nvidia Tegra 4 news and much more!

Samsung announces the Galaxy Grand and SamMobile tip the Galaxy Young Duos for early 2013!

   The image above is the latest in a very long line of Samsung phones which sport both Android and an elegant and seemingly popular design. Today's device is no different to many of its sister devices, but again the Galaxy Grand offers that little something different which may tempt consumers to buy it.

   In this case we think this phone is a budget option for those of you interested in a Galaxy Note or Note 2! The phone has a mammoth 5 inch display, which runs at a rather disappointing 480x800p and it's a TFT screen rather than IPS or AMOLED which is a slight let down. There's also a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot which supports cards up to 64GBs, a 2,100 mAh battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS! Other than that you do get a pair of good cameras; there's a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear camera. These may well be the same cameras that are in the Galaxy S2, so we expect them to be very capable indeed! Just in case you're interested this phone will be available in both dual and single-SIM varieties and  their model numbers are the GT-I9082 and the GT-I9080 respectively.

   Because this is Samsung you'll also get some of their software perks, on this particular device you get; Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, AllShare Play and S Video. Direct Call is one of our favourite features and we explained why we don't want to live in an Android world without this set of features over here!

   Depending on the price that comes with this device we would be very happy to recommend it, it's not often you come by a dual-sim device with specs like this and you even have a recent version of Android on board too (Android 4.1.2)! So who's interested?

   Well if you're not then don't worry Samsung will reportedly have yet another option for you in the new year! SamMobile reports that the Galaxy Young Duos is a mid-end Android device and will also give you a dual-sim option. It's set to be available toward the end of February in in two different colours. We expect to see the Grayish Blue and White that we saw on Samsung's recent Galaxy devices and the phone will likely debut at MWC in Barcelona. Just for the sake of clarity, this will be a new device which is neither the GT-S5360 Galaxy Y or the GT-S6102 Galaxy Y DUOS. Instead it will be it's own unique device with the model number GT-S6312! If we manage to get our hands on a snap then we will update the post!

Samsung Via AndroidCommunity and SamMobile.

In other news:

•  Nokia has reportedly cancelled their plans to showcase a set of new products at CES in January next year. The phone maker instead opted to delay until Mobile World Congress (MWC) which happens in February. Perhaps they needed to buy themselves a little bit more time to fine tune some new devices or work on their accessories a little more. Either way it seems Nokia wants to get it right so we'll have to wait an extra month to see their surprises!
  Via WPCentral.

• A report from AdAge, has today suggested that Facebook is looking into the possibility of utilizing video ads in your news feed to generate some additional advertising revenue. There are no finalised details yet but the plan revolves are the idea of selling targeted video ads in your 'News Feed', something which would affect both mobile and desktop users. By the soudns of it these ads have the potential to be rather intrusive because they could start playing automatically and they could have the ability to widen out and encompass real estate in both the left and right-hand columns of your feed, we're not sure how prepared users would be to accept this though. Facebook has been known to be working on video ads at the moment so this is by no means a big shock. We're just not sure how much this would drive users away from the platform, there are after all plenty of alternatives! Any one remember MySpace?
  Via TheVerge.

• More details have emerged on HTC's upcoming European flagship. Yesterday we confirmed it wasn't going to be a variant of the Droid DNA, instead it will be the 'M7'. The image from @EVLeaks, who are now working more closely with UnwiredView, explains the nitty gritty and if that battery size is true we'll be mighty relieved!

Via UnwiredView.

• Sprint has flicked the LTE switch in a few more places today and residents of the following areas will now have access to Sprint's finest mobile signal! The areas are Indianapolis/Carmel, Ind., Santa Rosa/Petaluma, Calif., Vallejo/Fairfield, Calif., Southern Puerto Rico (including Ponce, Coamo and Guayama), York/Hanover, Pa., Franklin County, Pa. and the Metro area of Chicage!
   Sprint Via IntoMobile

•  If you're into the Android Custom ROM scene you may well have noticed that there has been quite a few devices getting support for nightly releases over the past week! Well chalk the Samsung Galaxy S3 for both Verizon and Sprint as one of those devices now! Both devices are getting nightly releases along with Galaxy Nexus variants, 3G Nexus 7, Galaxy S, SII, and Galaxy Tab 2!
  Via AndroidPolice.

• It was little over a year ago, in September of 2011, when Twitter proudly announced that they had 100 million active monthly users. So it's amazing to think that Twitter announced a year and four months later that they have just broken the 200 million active users per month figure! So warn your friends who are adverse to Twitter that they will probably need to have it sooner rather than later! You can see Twitter's Tweet embedded below and don't forget to follow us so you don't miss a thing!
  Follow @TheTechFront_
  Twitter Via Slashgear.

There are now more than 200M monthly active @twitter users. You are the pulse of the planet. We're grateful for your ongoing support!
— Twitter (@twitter) December 18, 2012 

•  Brazil, soon to be the hosts of both the next Football World Cup and the next Olympic games, but it's also the country where Apple doesn't own the naming rights to the 'iPhone'. Instead, the name is owned by the Brazilian company, Gradiente, who secured the name all the way back in 2000! That phone pictured below is the first phone to use the name in Brazil and it's a slightly disappointing rival to it's worldwide namesake. There's Android 2.3.4 and a host of other decided average specs on board including a 3.7" screen, a pair of cameras and dual sim card slots! If you happen to live in Brazil you can pick one up for $235 off-contract, hopefully there won't be too many people who pick one up and end up severely disappointed!
  Via PhoneArena.
  

And finally, if this leaked slide is correct then we have our first hint at how powerful the next mobile processor from Nvidia will be and this is one little powerhouse! The chip is a 4-plus-1 configuration ARM Cortex A15 configuration, so it had twice the amount of cores as the Exynos processor in the Nexus 10 and comparable potency on an individual core basis! There is reportedly 72 graphics cores on this processor, that works out to six times as many GPU cores as the current Tegra 3 has. This added power means there is now support for displays with resolutions up to 2,560 x 1600 and the processor can manage 1080p output at 120Hz. There's a very brief mention of 4K, but we're not quite sure where they're going with that, we'll have to wait for more information from Nvidia to understand that fully. Tegra 4 will supposedly support USB 3.0 and dual-channel DDR3L memory! This made the prospect of CES and MWC even more exciting!

Via Engadget.

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