Nvidia Tegra

Gizmodo AU claimed this morning to have reviewed a training document related to Google’s upcoming tablet that is set to be unveiled at Google I/O this month. While we have had several leaks in the months leading up to the event, today’s report —if legitimate—provides us with some exact specs for the Nexus-branded, Asus-built slate. According to Gizmodo, the tablet will hit at least Australia in July and be the first to run Jelly Bean with the following specs:

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Display captures of press shots for the Google Nexus allegedly leaked online today, which show the Asus-manufactured tablet looking like a huge Galaxy Note and Galaxy S III cross.

PhoneArena posted the leaks of the highly anticipated 7-inch tablet. Google is long-rumored to launch the device with the latest version of Android for around $250 to directly compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

The images showcase a white front with three dots in the upper-right corner that closely resemble Samsung’s Galaxy S III. Meanwhile, the back sports a two-tone white and black color scheme. The device also carries a bevy of sensors with indications of a video-capable camera on the front and a second camera on the back. The tipster, who leaked the drafts, mentioned a quad-core Tegra 3 as the CPU with the possibility of 1GB of RAM for additional specs.

It is worth noting that the source denied rumors about the Google Nexus featuring Android 5.0 Jelly Bean for the operating system, and instead claimed an updated version of Ice Cream Sandwich, i.e., Android 4.1, would power the tablet. This information corroborates the RightWare benchmark test from last month that suggested a “Google Asus Nexus 7″ would boast Android 4.1 with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor.

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Google’s much-rumored 7-inch Asus tablet surfaced in a RightWare benchmark test recently and teased those eagerly awaiting a Mountain View, Calif.-branded slate.

The outing revealed a “Google Asus Nexus 7″ that boasts a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, runs Android 4.1, and carries a 768-by-1,280 resolution. The screenshots above and below detail the full specs. 

Mum’s the word for Google and Asus, but recent rumors suggest the 7-inch device will unveil at Google’s I/O Conference next month. It is worth mentioning, however, that past reports also indicated an April and May launch. One thing is for sure, with Asus on board for this project, many believe the Nexus 7 will look similar to other offerings by the Taiwanese manufacturer.

Google’s flagship Android-powered tablet is set to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 2, so a $200 to $250 price tag is in the radar.

In related news, a Federal Communications Commission filing for the Asus MeMo Pad 370T appeared this morning. This, as one might recall, is the $249 CES device that put the rumor mill into overdrive regarding a potential Google tablet, and now it causing the blogosophere to brim with reports about a 7-inch form factor on the I/O horizon.

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There are reports today that Google’s 7-inch tablet made by ASUS has been delayed until July from an original release window in May.

I was told from the beginning that the tablets would be announced at Google I/O and shipping to the public shortly thereafter, so I do not know if this is a delay at all. The original source for May is Digitimes, so I am not sure how accurate the information is. Perhaps Google was hoping to bank on a little cushion in its delivery window.

What is the reason for the delay?

The Mountain View team plans to make some design changes and hopes to lower the price from the current $249. The tablet, made in partnership with Taiwan’s Asustek Computer, currently comes with a 7-inch screen, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, and is Wi-Fi-only.

Pictured above is the ASUS Memo370T shown off at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January and due in the second quarter. It has some beefy specs including a Tegra 3 processor, 8-megapixel camera, and a 720P display. It has a retail price of $249, so I am not sure if Google really needs to get the price down too far. This is already a solid tablet.

If the release is pushed to July, it would mean that attendees will not get the tablet at the show (I have not heard this specifically) and would have to get a voucher/mail-in kind of thing like the Samsung ChromeBooks last year.

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[youtube=http://youtu.be/RLyW2asc460]

Toshiba unveiled the new 13.3-inch-display AT330 tablet in Germany, and it has one very unique feature: a TV tuner.

Techfokus said the Japanese electronics manufacturer showcased its latest device at Toshiba World 2012 in Bonn. The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich slate employs a Tegra 3 quad-core CPU, but its most interesting highlight is a TV tuner and an antennae that extends from body…

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbtxoCCFbfo]

Nik Software, the company behind Snapseed, the popular image editing app for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, announced yesterday that it will “soon” port the program to Tegra-powered Android tablets running Ice Cream Sandwich for $5 a pop.

Nik Software President and CEO Michael J. Slater said:

We’re thrilled with the success and worldwide recognition of our popular mobile app and are excited to bring the Snapseed experience to Mac users for the first time. By bringing Snapseed to the Mac App Store, we’re able to quickly extend our reach to a worldwide audience of creative amateur photographers while offering our existing mobile users the fully-featured Mac experience they’ve been asking for.

Nik collaborated with Nvidia on the project so expect some snazzy visuals and smooth performance, which is the hallmark of the iOS version. Snapseed sports cool filters and tools like grunge, vintage and drama to make the best out of your photographs. The full list of features follows…

[slideshow]

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The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is underway in Las Vegas, and Acer wrapped up the first press event of the week. Acer showed off its new Acer Aspire S5 laptop at the event, and —better yet­­— the Taiwan-based company teased its new Android tablet – the Iconia Tab A700. The new Acer tablet is a complete beast with its Tegra 3 quad-core processor, Android 4.0, and 1080p display. As of now, there is no more information besides those two specifications, but we will work on finding out the rest as the week rolls on.

Check out another image after the break or view the full gallery over at The Verge.

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Acer America announced Jan. 5 that it would launch the 10.1-inch budget-friendly Iconia Tab A200, equipped with Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system, in the United States for $329.99.

The titanium-gray A200 weighs 1.5 pounds, but the hefty tablet comes with a high-definition multitouch display at 1280-by-800 resolution. Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual-core mobile processor and GeForce GPU power  the device that features Acer’s Ring interface. With such a large screen, touted processing power and graphics processor, Acer is calling it an ideal gaming tablet.

“Made especially for multimedia enjoyment, the A200 packs hardware and apps for loads of fun,” said Acer in the announcing press release. “The Iconia Tab A200’s fast gaming experience is also supported by a six-axis motion sensing gyroscope, essential for high-precision gaming so actions and animations are more correctly performed.”

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AllThingsD’s review columnist Walt Mossberg has graced us with his Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime review this evening, giving the device a pretty high score. Mossberg, a renowned reviewer, calls the Prime the best Android tablet he has tested. Mossberg compliments the Prime on its fast quad-core Tegra 3 processor and keyboard dock which can be purchased separately.

Just as Joanna Stern from The Verge said, Mossberg isn’t too happy with the software on the Prime. He calls it sluggish and not as complete as the iPad. For his final words, Mossberg says the iPad is still the best tablet out there, but if you’re interested in Android and a physical keyboard this tablet is for you. Be sure to read his full review.

I still believe the iPad 2 is the best overall tablet available. However, if you’re looking for a model using Google’s Android interface and are yearning for a well-designed, easily integrated keyboard solution, or want to play more power-hungry games, the Transformer Prime is a good choice, as long as you can tolerate its software limitations.

The Prime launches in the United States on December 15th. The 32GB model will be available for $499, and the optional keyboard dock will be available for $149. We look forward to getting our hands on this!

Engadget has leaked the specs of a new handset from HTC called the Zeta (rendered above). The HTC Zeta is rumored to pack a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 720p 4.5-inch display, 8-megapixel rear camera (1080p HD), and 1.3-megapixel front camera. With specifications optimized for power, the HTC Zeta makes itself favorable over its previously leaked brethren the HTC Edge.

The 2.5 GHz S4 processor will be manufactured by Qualcomm, a competitor to Nvidia’s Tegra 3 that is finding its way into devices by next year. This device is sure to be a speed demon.

Engadget doesn’t say which version of Android the Zeta will run, but with the Ice Cream Sandwich source code released yesterday, we’re hoping the device will see ICS on launch day if not shortly after. HTC’s custom Sense UI will also most likely earn a spot on the Zeta. There is no word on pricing or availability, but Q1 or early Q2 of 2012 sounds about right.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6MZupUq78]

ASUS just released a teaser for their next generation tablet (Honeycomb? ICS?) which should be released in the coming days.  What’s inside?  Perhaps a Tegra 3 Kal-El chip, which also got its own video below:
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AT&T has announced five new Android phones to add to their portfolio bringing their total Android count for the year to 19. This round includes the anticipated Atrix 2, Samsung Captivate Glide, Samsung Double Time, Pantech Pocket, and AT&T Avail. These five new devices exceed AT&T’s expectations of 12 new Android devices this year by a healthy margin.

The big boy of these five devices is the Motorola Atrix 2, the successor to the Atrix announced at CES this year. The Atrix 2 features a pretty nice spec list: 4.3-inch qHD screen (960 x 540), 1 GHz dual-core processor, 4G, 8-megapixel rear-shooter (1080P HD), unspecified front-facing camera, and Android 2.3. The Atrix 2 features the same connectivity as the original Atrix: Motorola’s webtop application, HD station, and the Lapdock 100.

Also having a nice set of specs, AT&T has announced the Samsung Captivate Glide. Specs for the Glide include: 4-inch 480×800 display, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Android 2.3, 4G, HDMI playback, 8-megapixel rear-shooter (1080p HD), and 1.3 mega-pixel front-facing camera.  Yeah, it is another Samsung Epic 4G type of device (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Check out the other three after the break:

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[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c62c7yVQeLo”]

Toshiba has announced their 7-inch tablet this afternoon, which will be available in December for ‘under $400’. The specs for the device are pretty nice:  a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of flash storage, Android 3.2, a 5-megapixel rear-shooter, 2-megapixel front-facing shooter, and 1280 x 800 display.

The little guy is also pretty light — only .88 lb. Check out This is my next’s hands-on above!

This morning, Acer announced the Iconia A100 Tab A100.  The 7″ Android 3.2 tablet is the first to run Honeycomb at that size.  The screen is a Galazy Tab-like 1024×600 16:10 TFT with a 75-degree viewing angle.  The body is a bit on the beefy side  for a 7-incher at .5-inches thick and .92lbs.

All of that heft doesn’t get you as much battery life as you might expect.  The battery is a very cellphone-like 1520mA and is rated for around 5 hours of web surfing and slightly less for HD Video.  It also runs Adobe Flash 10.3 which will tax its speedy 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor.

On the backside is a big 5MP shooter with Flash.  The front side has a 2MP video conferencing camera as well.

It also has a home button which seems to indicate that Acer didn’t get Andy Rubin’s message about “no buttons”.  That’s OK, some people like buttons.

The biggie here is the price.  With a retail target of $329, this product will likely be aimed at consumers who don’t feel comfortable spending $500 and up for a tablet.  As with the Iconia A500 tablet before it, that price will likely get discounted so we’ll be looking at a mid range Honeycomb product in the mid $200 range.

This will compete well with Barnes and Noble’s Nook, the HTC Flyer and the original Samsung Galaxy Tab.  It also appears to be aimed at moms who can throw this in a purse and hold it in one hand and while on the go.

Gallery and Press release follow:
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Nvidia’s quad-core test tablet code named “Kal-El” is set to launch in s tablet this coming fall. Kal-El’s speed, named after Superman, is said to be 5x the speed of the Tegra 2, Nvidia’s current dual-core CPU on the market. Nvidia tells AndroidCentral:

“Project Kal-El-powered tablets are coming this Fall, and phones around the CES 2012 timeframe.”

That translates to phones in Spring or summer. Originally, Nvidia said at CES 2011 we were going to see the tablet in August, but we’ve learned to never go off a company’s timeframe. Will the Kal-El be dubbed Tegra 3?

Check out AndroidCentral’s video of the Kal-El below:

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From 9to5Toys.com:

MacMall via eBay Daily Deal offers the 1.69-lb. Acer Iconia A500-10S16u NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz 10.1″ Widescreen Android Table PC, model no. XE.H60PN.002, for $379.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest total price we could find by $61. Features include an NVIDIA Tegra 2 250 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1″ 1280×800 widescreen touchscreen LCD, 1GB RAM, built-in 16GB flash storage, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, microSD card slot, 5-megapixel rear facing camera, 2-megapixel front facing camera, miniHDMI output, 2-cell battery, and Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

We reviewed the Iconia Tab here.

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Update: Ended

From 9to5toys.com

Today only, until 4 pm ET, MacMall via eBay Daily Deal offers the Motorola Xoom 32GB WiFi Tablet with Google Android 3.0, model no. 00001NARGNLX, for $499.99 with free shipping. That’s $73 under our mention from two weeks ago and the lowest total price we’ve ever seen for this tablet by $31. (It’s also a current price low by $73.) This 0.51″-thick tablet weighs 1.6 lbs. and features an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 10.1″ 1200×800 touchscreen LCD display, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, front and rear cameras, accelerometer, gyroscope, microSD card slot, up to 10 hours of battery life, micro USB and HDMI connectivity, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and more.

Huang Jen-Hsun, Nvidia’s co-founder and CEO, predicts tablets will outperform mobile PCs five years from today, echoing a similar sentiment from UK fabless chip maker ARM Holdings. The Tegra revenue could even surpass Nvidia’s GPU business, he tells chatting with reporters at a Computex press conference in Taipei, Taiwan. The CEO dismissed Intel’s latest mobile strides by expressing pessimism about their re-newed focus on tablet and smartphone silicon. Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes quoted Jen-Hsun as saying that “consumers do not care whether their products use x86- or ARM-based processor”, adding:

As for the impact bring by the tablet PC, Huang pointed out that PC and tablet PC each has its own unique functionality; therefore, the traditional notebook should not see any danger of being replaced. However, netbook, which does not have a full functionality as a traditional PC, is being impacted deeply by tablet PC.

Nvidia, of course, is betting big on ARM-branded processor designs (versus Intel’s desktop x86 and mobile Atom architectures) that dominate the smartphone industry and are slowly but surely becoming a norm in the tablet space. Tegra chips typically combine ARM processing cores and Nvidia’s custom graphics cores. Even the iPad’s A5 chip is custom-designed around ARM’s CPU blueprints and the graphics unit licensed from Imagination Technologies. Nvidia’s technology roadmap is pretty convincing and they’ve been working their way up the mobile chain. The company is set to become the leading silicon provider for mobile gadgets…

Asus yesterday unveiled the Eee Pad Slider, a gadget designed around Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chip.

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Prepare to be impressed:

A few months back, we unveiled Project Kal-El – our next-gen Tegra super chip – as the world’s first mobile quad-core processor. Kal-El combines a battery-friendly, powerhouse of a quad-core processor with a 12-core NVIDIA GPU that supports 3D stereo.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBvaDtshLY8&HD=1&w=670&h=400]

NVIDIA via BGR
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Jen-Hsun Huang, the CEO of graphics giant Nvidia, sees Android-driven tablets powered by his company’s speedy processors overtaking Apple’s iPad in about the same time-frame it took Android smartphones to beat the iPhone, he told Reuters:

The Android phone took only two and a half years to achieve the momentum that we’re talking about. I would expect the same thing on Honeycomb tablets.

The comment is a 180-degree turn from Huang’s previous analysis which blamed lackluster sales of Android tablets on the lack of software richness, sub-par marketing and high price points, to name a few. A Jefferies analysis (see tablet below the fold) echoes this sentiment, conceding that a small percentage of users are currently considering buying an Android tablet over iPad. Nevertheless, Android tablets are expected to catch up next year, the survey notes.

If Android slates are to zoom past Apple’s device, Huang now argues, more apps are needed, especially high-quality games and entertainment titles. He suggested that Android vendors iterate Honeycomb devices using Nvidia’s next-generation Tegra processor code-named Kal-El. Plugged-in sources describe the chip as a screamer…

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The Droid 3, likely pictured above, is getting a little more real this weekend as someone holding one of these beauts decided to run it through the NenaMark1 Benchmarking results (below).

The Results:  The Droid 3’s Texas Instrument’s dual-core 1GHz OMAP4430 CPU boasts a PowerVR SGX 540 GPU, same 960×540/4-inch screen as the Motorola Atrix and is running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread.  Also codenamed Solana, the model is known to be a XT862.

Since these guys are being benchmarked, a release is likely coming soon – perhaps alongside the Droid X2 which is also expected to debut on May 26th with a qHD 4.3-inch screen and a Tegra 2.   Neither of these devices look to be LTE, so we’re still waiting on a rebranded Bionic?

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