Today, NVIDIA is making waves by creating the first smartphone powered purely by their processors. The ZTE Mimosa X runs on a Tegra 2 application processor that will work together with their new Icera 450 modem. The first device of its kind. It shall run Ice Cream Sandwich and feature a 4.3″ qHD display, 5MP back camera, front camera for video chatting, and 4GB of internal storage.
The device is set for a Q2 2012 launch and only capable of connecting to HSPA+ networks, so no luck for Verizon customers. But if it did, would you think about spending your money on a pure NVIDIA device? As new modem tech, it’ll be something to watch out for during the next year. NVIDIA is claiming that their Icera modems consume power at ultra-low levels, something many of us complain about with current chipsets, especially those that connect to LTE networks. While none of their Icera chips appear to be compatible with CDMA, they do have a 410 model that can connect to LTE and HSPA+.
We will likely see a push by NVIDIA to get companies to use nothing but their modems and application processors going forward. If they can lead the charge in modem tech as they have done with app processors, this should be something to watch closely.
First Tegra-powered Smartphone Announced with NVIDIA’s Icera Modem Technology
New ZTE Mimosa X Brings the NVIDIA Mobile Experience to the Mainstream Market
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Feb. 20, 2012—NVIDIA and ZTE today announced the ZTE Mimosa X, the first smartphone to be powered both by the NVIDIA ®Tegra ® application processor and its Icera® modem, which came to NVIDIA through its Icera acquisition in mid-2011.
“The ZTE Mimosa X is exciting for a few reasons,” said Michael Rayfield, General Manager of the Mobile business at NVIDIA. “The Mimosa X marks the first time NVIDIA technology powers all the major processors in a single smartphone, and also the first time a premium mobile computing experience is coming to the mainstream smartphone market.”
The Mimosa X is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor, featuring a dual-core CPU and GeForce® GPU, and the NVIDIA Icera 450 HSPA+ modem, comprising baseband and RF processors, featuring excellent throughput and low power. It will run Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), feature a 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) screen, rear 5 MP and front cameras, and 4 GB of storage expandable to 32 GB.
The ZTE Mimosa X will deliver super multimedia capabilities, including advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP), Dolby sound, digital living network alliance (DLNA) compatibility for easy sharing of content, HD video record and play, dual microphones, and built-in gyroscope.
The Mimosa X will be launched around Q2 2012. Positioned squarely for the mainstream market, it brings new levels of performance and connectivity to this large segment of users.
Consumers will now be able to use a mainstream smartphone to experience the same speedy web browsing, smooth multitasking, and HD video, as well as console-quality gaming with TegraZone, that was previously available only in high-end phones. TegraZone™ is NVIDIA’s free Android Market app that showcases the best games optimized for the Tegra processor.
The NVIDIA Icera 450 supports up to 21Mbps category 14 HSPA+ with fast downloads in fading channels, IceClear™ interference cancellation technology for even faster throughput at the cell edge and advanced Release 7 features for an ultra-low latency network response.
This post was last modified on March 14, 2012 3:14 pm