Android Tablet Update

Just in case you thought you had no plans this weekend, we’re here to say, “Sure you do!” with another chance to win a Tegra 3 device in honor of the recent release of Sonic 4 Episode II. So far, we’ve given an ASUS Transformer Prime and Acer Iconia Tab A510 to two lucky readers, and this week we have the famed One X from HTC! Be sure to read more about what you can do to win and “get your Sonic on.”

The Trailer

The Download

Sonic 4 Episode II is available as a paid title for $6.99 and a lite version is free to install.

Sonic 4 Episode II THD SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Sonic 4 Episode II THD Lite SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The Game

The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic’s beloved sidekick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and XBox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.

We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Release dates:

• May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
• May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
• May 17: iTunes App Store
• June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
• July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone

Pricing:

• PS3 and Steam: $14.99
• Android, iOS: $6.99
• Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points

Episode Metal bonus pack:

Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called “Episode Metal.” This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.

Sonic 4™ Episode I SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Benefits of Tegra 3

Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.

• The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
• In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it’s the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you’ll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
• Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4.

The Contest – Win an unlocked HTC One X

Brace yourself for lightning-fast web browsing, remarkable picture quality and seamless gaming visuals thanks to the powerful quad-core Tegra 3 processor. You’ll love the minimalist design and the camera that captures every moment (even in low light) with crisp, vivid, beautiful photos. It also lets you take a photo while shooting HD video. Plus, with Beats Audio you hear authentic, deep sound with true, finely-tuned details.

How to Enter

Draw a picture of any Sonic character and an Android character. Upload the picture anywhere you like and leave a comment with a link below.

Multiple chances to win: Today marks the middle of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted until Monday, May 28th. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Welcome back to the first ever TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion. Last week we gave away a Transformer Pad prize pack to the lucky winner Droilfade and this week we are back with another one. Don’t forget that NVIDIA is also giving away 7 ASUS Transformer Pads with docks, Logitech Controllers and a Jambox Speaker, so make sure you go vote.

NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details.

About TegraZone

NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month.

NVIDIA TegraZone NVIDIA PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

Scan to vote.

Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Graphics
2. Best Gameplay
3. Overall fun

Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3.

Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

The Giveaway: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

Gaming to go prize pack includes:

• ASUS Transformer Pad
• ASUS Mobile dock
• Logitech game controller
• Jambox Speaker

How to enter the weekly contest

Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite first-person shooter game on Android. Note that the game doesn’t have to be a TegraZone exclusive. It can be any first-person shooter in the history of Android.

We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join.

Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. Don’t forget we are also running a Sonic 4 promotion that has another chance to win a Transformer Prime.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Today NVIDIA announced that their Icera 410 LTE multimode data modem was successfully validated by AT&T for operation on its 4G LTE network. This modem is designed for tablets and clamshell devices, but it’s an important step for NVIDIA that could lead to Icera LTE modems appearing in Tegra-powered smartphones.

“Validation with AT&T is an achievement that paves the way for NVIDIA Icera-powered LTE devices on the AT&T network through this year and next,” said Stan Boland, senior vice president of Mobile Communications at NVIDIA.

NVIDIA released their quad-core Tegra 3 chip last year, but you won’t find it inside any mobile devices at US carrier stores yet. The issue is that most US carriers are now demanding LTE connectivity, and the few modem providers that have gained approval to operate on these LTE networks (namely Qualcomm) are not interested in working with NVIDIA.

That should change in the second half of the year as NVIDIA releases their own LTE modem and the leading suppliers of cellular silicon solutions release additional LTE modems that will work with Tegra 3.

NVIDIA acquired the Icera technology last year this year ZTE announced the first smartphone based on both its Tegra processor and Icera modem, the Mimosa X.

Later this year we expect NVIDIA to reveal a newer chip called Tegra 3+ that should work with the latest LTE modems from GCT Semiconductor, Renesas Mobile, and ST-Ericsson. We also expect NVIDIA to release another chip codenamed Grey in early 2013, which will be their first Tegra chip to integrate an Icera LTE modem.

Head over to NVIDIA’s Icera products page for additional details on their modem lineup.

Last week, we celebrated the release of Sonic 4 Episode II, starring one of the world’s best-known video game characters, on consoles and mobile platforms. Congratulations again to Nicholas Vettese for winning an ASUS Transformer Prime! We’re continuing the celebration this week by giving another lucky reader a chance to win another “Sonic-ready” tablet, an Acer Iconia Tab A510. Read on for more about the latest release and what you can do to win!

The Trailer

The Download

Sonic 4 Episode II is available as a paid title for $6.99 and a lite version is free to install.

Sonic 4 Episode II THD SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Sonic 4 Episode II THD Lite SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The Game

The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic’s beloved side kick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game.” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and Xbox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.

We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Release dates:

• May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
• May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
• May 17: iTunes App Store
• June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
• July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone

Pricing:

• PS3 and Steam: $14.99
• Android, iOS: $6.99
• Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points

Episode Metal bonus pack:

Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called “Episode Metal.” This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.

Sonic 4™ Episode I SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Benefits of Tegra 3

Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.

• The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
• In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it’s the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you’ll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
• Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4.

The Contest – Win an Acer Iconia Tab A510

“Featuring NVIDIA quad-Core performance, the latest Android 4.0 OS and an amazing productivity suite, you can multitask at a new level and surf the web without waiting. Preloaded entertainment apps like Kindle, Netflix and Google Music keep your entertainment at your fingertips wherever you are. So whether you need to be productive on the go or just want to stay entertained, the Acer Iconia Tab A510 will keep you at the top of your game.”

How to Enter

To enter to win the tablet, all you’ve gotta do is tweet at @NVIDIATegra with the hashtag #Sonic. Tell them how much you loved #Sonic as a kid, why Tails rules- whatever you feel like sharing. Use your own words, we love creativity! Just make sure to include @NVIDIATegra and #Sonic in your tweet. For your convenience, we’ve included a tweetbox below:

Multiple chances to win: Today is marks the middle of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted for 48 hours after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw. As always, we’ll be tracking tweets and picking winners via RowFeeder.

Welcome back to the first ever TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion. Last week we gave away a Transformer Pad prize pack to the lucky winner Golcarcol and this week we are back with another one. Don’t forget that NVIDIA is also giving away 7 ASUS Transformer Pads with docks, Logitech Controllers and a Jambox Speaker, so make sure you go vote.

NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details.

About TegraZone

NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month.

NVIDIA TegraZone NVIDIA PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

Scan to vote.

Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Graphics
2. Best Gameplay
3. Overall fun

Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3.

Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

TegraZone game I’m looking forward to the most: Renaissance Blood THD

Renaissance Blood, formerly DaVinci, has been in development for a long time, but it should finally arrive on Tegra 3 devices in June. Korean developer Bridea is using the Unreal Engine 3 for this first person shooter and promises the highest graphics quality of any mobile game.

Kijong Kang, Executive Producer, described how they planned to take advantage of NVIDIA’s 4-PLUS-1 architecture by saying, “Renaissance Blood THD will leverage Tegra 3 for its multi-threading capabilities, so we can scale across all four CPU cores and deliver the ultimate console-quality performance.”

We haven’t seen a lot of info about the game released in recent months, so keep an eye on the TegraZone listing for updates. It’s possible the release date could be pushed back to the second half of 2012, but this looks like a game worth waiting on.

The Giveaway: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

Gaming to go prize pack includes:

• ASUS Transformer Pad
• ASUS Mobile dock
• Logitech game controller
• Jambox Speaker

How to enter the weekly contest

Join Android and Me and start a discussion about any gaming-related or Tegra-related topic in our Threads. All Thread creators in the next week will be automatically entered to win. (Learn more about Threads)

Suggested thread topics include:

• X reasons why I want the ASUS Transformer Pad (or any Tegra 3 device)
• X games I wish were coming to Android
• Will cloud gaming be the end of consoles?
• Review your favorite Android game
• Is TegraZone and other exclusive content good or bad for Android?
• Etc., be creative!

Entries will be judged on number of comments they receive, use of images and videos, and overall quality. We will announce the winner next week when we start Week 3 of the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion.

Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. Don’t forget we are also running a Sonic 4 promotion that has another chance to win a Transformer Prime.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Cloud gaming on Android is going to get a shot of adrenaline later this year. Today at the GPU Technology Conference, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang announced that their new Kepler chip was the world’s first GPU for cloud computing and it would be powering Gaikai‘s multi-platform gaming service.

Gaikai’s open cloud gaming platform offers a fully managed system that is optimized to deliver high-end video games and applications within seconds to all leading web browsers, operating systems, and devices. The Gaikai app is already available on Facebook and it will be coming to Android devices in the second half of this year.

Gaikai will work on on types of displays.

We have already seen other cloud gaming platforms like OnLive, but they suffered from lag and didn’t offer a wide variety of brand new games. Gaikai is focused on next-generation titles from the leading game developers and they say they have fixed the lag problem with the help of NVIDIA.

GeForce GRID will offer the same game experience as traditional consoles.

NVIDIA’s Kepler chip allows for virtualized GPUs so a single server can power thousands of low-latency remote displays. Gaikai has designed custom servers and distributed them in data centers across the globe, and they claim to offer the lowest latency, highest quality experiences possible.

To demonstrate the technology in action Gaikai showed off an upcoming game called Hawken that was running on the ASUS Transformer Prime. This first-person shooter mech game looked amazing and it easily topped anything we have ever seen on Android. The developer Adhesive Games says Hawken will be available on December 12th, but we expect Gaikai and other games should hit Android before then.

Right now we don’t have a release date for Gaikai on Android, but I highly suggest you play with their Facebook app for a quick demo. I just wasted a good 30 minutes playing Dead Rising 2, and I can’t wait for this service to come to Android devices. Check out Gaikai’s promo video below to get a feel of some of the other games that are already available to play.

Does this look like a service you would pay to play on Android?

LG’s first quad-core superphone will be making its way to store shelves in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Italy, and Poland next month. Powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor and a 4.7″ True HD IPS display, the Optimus 4X HD has its sights set squarely on the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III superphones, giving users a solid alternative if they haven’t been blown away with either other device just yet.

The Optimus 4X HD takes full advantage of the larger display, and offers phablet features such as a new Quick Memo, which allows users of the 4X HD to jot notes over a screen image, and Media Plex, which provides desktop-like image and video playback.

The Optimus 4X HD will head to Asia, South America, and Central America in coming months, though no official word of a US release has been given. We expect this device to launch as the T-Mobile G4X later this year, perhaps shedding LG’s updated UI Overlay in favor of stock Android 4.

Confirmed specs of the Optimus 4X HD include:

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with updated LG UI Overlay
• 1.5 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor
• 4.7 inch 720p True HD IPS display
• 8 megapixel backside illumination rear camera
• 1.3 megapixel front camera
• 1 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage
• 2,150 mAh battery
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, WiFi 802.11b/g/n
• MHL, DLNA, etc.
• 8.9 mm thick
• SHSPA+ 21 Mbps support

NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details.

About TegraZone

NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month.

NVIDIA TegraZone NVIDIA PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

My favorite TegraZone Game

I’ve played so many Tegra games and enjoyed a lot of them so it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think I got the most enjoyment out of Shadowgun. I originally scored the game 7/10 for being too short and lacking a multiplayer mode, but the developer recently released an expansion pack with more levels and the free online multiplayer game is coming soon. Check out my full review of Shadowgun to see why bounty hunting has never looked so good.

SHADOWGUN THD MADFINGER Games PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

SHADOWGUN MADFINGER Games PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

Scan to vote.

Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Graphics
2. Best Gameplay
3. Overall fun

Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3.

Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

The Prize: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

Gaming to go prize pack includes:

• ASUS Transformer Pad
• ASUS Mobile dock
• Logitech game controller
• Jambox Speaker

How to Enter

For week 1 we’re going to make it super easy for you. Simply leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join.

Multiple comments are allowed on this post, but each user will only be counted once. The winner will be chosen at random, so don’t bother downvoting each other.

Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. As each week passes, we will make winning a Transformer Pad take a little more effort (like starting a Thread).

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon…)

NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 has been one of the fastest mobile processors on the market since it debuted last year, but it is now seeing increased competition form Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 and Samsung’s upcoming Exynos 4412. We already know that NVIDIA is working on their next generation of chips codenamed Wayne (Tegra 4), but those are not expected to appear in devices until the tail end of 2012 or early 2013.

Right now NVIDIA still wins 100% of the “marketing benchmarks” with their quad-core processor, but how will they continue to remain competitive and pick up design wins for the remainder of the year?

Last week at a HTC event in Seattle, Michael Rayfield, GM of NVIDIA’s mobile business unit, shared some new details on the Tegra roadmap.

Mr. Rayfield confirmed previous leaks that NVIDIA was preparing a Tegra 3+ part for the middle of 2012. He didn’t go into many details on how the chip would differ from Tegra 3, but he did say it would be a significant bump.

One thing that was talked about was support for LTE networks. Many sites have incorrectly reported that Tegra 3 was not “LTE ready”, but it’s actually the modem suppliers that are behind. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE used the previous generation Tegra 2 and ZTE already announced a Tegra 3 phone with LTE support, so we know Tegra works with LTE networks

The problem is that LTE networks are only widely popular in the United States, so most modem partners have not brought their LTE solutions to the market yet. Qualcomm is currently the leader in LTE modems, but they have no interest in working with their competitor NVIDIA and supplying them modems for Tegra devices.

Thankfully, things will change in the second half of the year. NVIDIA says that  GCT Semiconductor, Renesas Mobile, and ST-Ericsson are all working on LTE modems that will work with Tegra 3 chips.

Thanks to a document leaked by VR-Zone, we are now learning additional details about Tegra 3+, which has the model number AP37. The new chip should boast CPU speeds up to 1.7 GHz, feature 25% faster graphics, and have support for 1920×1200 display. Keep in mind this is a smartphone chip, so it makes those rumors of 1080p smartphone displays in 2012 sound more believable.

We don’t know exactly when Tegra 3+ smartphones will appear in market or which handset maker will produce them, but we could possibly hear announcements as soon as next month at CTIA. If that show comes and goes with no news, we could hear more details at NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference on May 17th.

NVIDIA has just unveiled a new slide that predicts GPU performance on mobile devices will catch or even surpass the graphical capabilities of the XBOX 360 by 2014. While this may sound like an amazing feat for mobile devices, let’s put things in perspective. The XBOX 360 is currently the most popular gaming console on the market, but it was introduced back in 2005, and it’s graphical performance reign was eclipsed just one year later with the introduction of the PS3. Both Microsoft and Sony are expected to introduce new console systems in the next 18-24 months, which would significantly increase their GPU performance.

We applaud NVIDIA for all the work they have done to deliver mobile GPUs that allow developers to create amazing games. Unfortunately, increased GPU performance will not mean a thing unless developers find a way to make mobile gaming as lucrative as console gaming (where consumers are willing to pay $60 for new releases). There are many great games on Android, but a quick glance at the top games listed in Google Play reveals that most consumers are not interested in playing graphic intensive games on their mobile devices.

If mobile GPU performance catches up with console gaming within the next few years, would you be willing to spend a little more money for games on your Android device? Or would you prefer spending $60 to enjoy a game on your 46-inch flat panel TV while sitting on your couch?