South Korea's LG Electronics unveiled the LG Optimus 2X, a smartphone with a dual-core processor.
This uses Nvidia's (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 2 processor, making for faster, smoother Web browsing and a better multitasking experience, LG said. The Optimus 2X will be released with Android 2.2; it will be upgradable to Android 2.3 later. LG will offer the Optimus 2X in South Korea next month. The device will then be shipped to Europe and to other countries in Asia.
LG Optimus 2X Specs
- 1Ghz Dual-core Processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2)
- 4-inch WVGA screen
- 8GB memory (up to 32GB via microSD)
- 1,500 mAh battery
- 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera
- HDMI mirroring
- 1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording
- Android 2.2 Froyo (upgradeable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread)
CPU
The Optimus 2X uses a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.This is claimed to be the world's first mobile dual-core CPU. It is a dual-core ARM (Nasdaq: ARMHY) Cortex A-9 CPU.
The Tegra 2 includes an ultra-low power GeForce graphics processing unit (GPU). This lets it offer up to two times faster Web browsing and up to five times faster gaming. The GPU also includes what's claimed to be the world's first mobile 1080p HD video processor.
Step Back, Optimus Prime
Multi-core smartphones and mobile devices such as PC tablets may be the norm in the future, Carl Howe, director of anywhere consumer research at the Yankee Group, told TechNewsWorld."It's a question of offering performance at lower power," Howe explained. "You get the same performance but at a lower clock speed, which consumes less power."
Further, a multicore device gives users plenty of power in reserve.
"You'll have more horsepower when you need it, and when you're doing routine things, you might be able to turn off one core, which is a typical strategy for dual-core devices," Howe pointed out.
Over time, mobile devices will go the way of the desktop and incorporate an increasing number of cores, Howe predicted. "Dual-core isn't the end here; you'll see quad-core and eight-core processors," he elaborated.
However, that alone won't make for better mobile devices.
"The real gotcha is the software," Howe stated. "Typically chip manufacturers give OEMs software to help manage multiple ports. How effective that is will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer," he added.
"The software that enables the parsing of tasks and processes has to be developed and done accurately or it's not gong to make that much of a difference," Will Stofega, a program director at IDC, told TechNewsWorld.