Mobile World Congress 2012, aka the quad-core phone show

Monday, 13 February 2012

Mobile World Congress 2012, aka the quad-core phone show

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Mobile World Congress is less than a month away in Barcelona and the anticipation is quickly building for the gadgets that will be announced. We expect to see all kinds of Android devices from tablets to TVs, but the star of the show will be smartphones. And at this year’s show a particular kind of smartphone will take center stage: the quad-core-powered-beast.

Why do you need quad-core performance in a phone? Some people will say that mobile applications aren’t ready to take advantage of all that horsepower, and for the most part they are right. In our recent interview with NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang he explained the situation by saying, “It’s a little bit of the chicken and the egg. If the applications aren’t ready, you have to build a processor that inspires the applications to be ready.”

NVIDIA has already delivered their quad-core Tegra 3 processor to the OEMS and it must have inspired them to build some awesome devices because the number or rumored phones is starting to add up. Read on for the full list of quad-core phones that we should see at Mobile World Congress.

HTC Edge (aka Supreme aka Endeavor)

I still can’t believe I’m typing this, but HTC is rumored to power their 2012 flagship phone with a chip from NVIDIA, instead of Qualcomm. This comes as a shock for many since almost all of HTC’s recent phones have been powered by the Snapdragon processor, and Qualcomm has a minority investment in HTC.

This move was first hinted at last year when Stefan Streit, HTC’s VP of Marekting, said there was no exclusive deal with Qualcomm and “Nvidia or TI-powered smartphones and tablets are possible in the future.” Then rumors of the Tegra 3-powered HTC Edge started appearing in November, and it appears the phone is quite real.

Rumored specs of the HTC Edge include:

Quad-core 1.5 GHz Tegra 3 processorAndroid 4.0 with Sense UI 4.04.7-inch display with 720p resolution1 GB RAMBacklit 8 MP camera with 28-millimeter, f/2.2 lensBeats Audio32 GB internal storageHSPA+ 21 Mbps supportBluetooth 4.0Slightly over 10 mm thickThe high-end specs are nice, but I hope HTC has some surprises up their sleeves to show off what this hardware can do. Based on recent leaks, it appears that HTC’s Sense 4.0 UI really hides the beauty of Android 4.0, but we haven’t really seen everything it can do. Given HTC’s good reputation with the developer community, the Edge has a chance to become the most popular Tegra 3 phone.Fujitsu Arrows Tegra 3

Fujitsu also surprised a lot of folks at CES when they were the first company to showcase a Tegra 3 phone. Their prototype Arrows phone was kept under the glass, but they had a working unit that was running the game Riptide GP on the big screen. Fujitsu has traditionally targeted the Japanese market with most of their handsets landing on NTT Docomo, but a company representative told me they plan to enter the U.S. market this year.

Highlights of the device include:

Quad-core 1.2GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 processorAndroid 4.04.6″ 1280 X 720 TFT-LCD13.1-megapixel camera capable of ISO 25,600 sensitivity1 GB RAM (prototype had 4 GB RAM)LTE supportWaterproof and dustproofLook for Fujitsu to unveil a slightly redesigned Arrows smartphone at MWC. We expect they could ditch the hardware buttons and go with software buttons we have seen on other Android 4.0 phones.LG X3

LG was the first company with a Tegra 2 phone, so we expected them to deliver another device based on the latest Tegra offering. Earlier this month, Evan Blass of PocketNow posted the first report of the LG X3, which he said is likely to debut at MWC.

Highlights of the device include:

Quad-core Tegra processorAndroid 4.04.7-inch 1280×720 display8 megapixel rear camera, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera16GB of expandable storageBluetooth 4.0, NFC, WiFi 802.11b/g/nHSPA+ 21 Mbps support2,000mAh batteryUnder 9mm thin

Everyone else is showing their Tegra 3 phone next month, so we expect LG to join the party.

Huawei Diamond Series

Huawei impressed us at CES with their Ascend P1 LTE phone, but the company says they have a new Diamond Series coming at MWC that will be their “smartest, fastest and most high-performing smartphone.” The Ascend P1 LTE was using the new dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4, so we expect the Diamond Series could feature Tegra 3. Not much else is known about the Diamond Series, so hopefully we learn more at MWC.

ASUS quad-core phone?

ASUS Padfone Asus has announced they will unveil a newly redesigned Padfone at Mobile World Congress. Protoype units show at CES were running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor, but there have been conflicting reports that the final design could feature Tegra 3 instead. Asus produced the first quad-core tablet with their Transformer Prime, so it’s possible they could use the same processor in this flagship phone.

The Padfone is sure to impress with its innovative tablet dock that brings the smartphone’s content to a larger display. The tablet dock is also said to work with the ASUS keyboard docking station from their Transformer tablets, so this could be one of the most interesting products we see at MWC.

Samsung, Motorola, and Meizu

In addition to all the leaked quad-core phones, we might see a few surprises. Samsung will not be showing their Galaxy S III phone at MWC, but they will be showing several exciting new mobile products that could include some quad-core devices. These products could be powered by Samsung’s own quad-core Exynos 4412 processor or Samsung could use NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 again (like they did with the Galaxy Tab 10.1).

Motorola appears to be firmly aligned with Texas Instruments processors, but they have a history of dual-sourcing their parts. We saw Motorola use Tegra 2 for their Xoom tablet and Atrix smartphone, so it’s always possible they could surprise us with a Tegra 3 device. My gut tells me they will debut a couple products powered by the new dual-core 1.8 GHz OMAP4470, but anything is possible.

Finally, we could see a special appearance by the Meizu MX quad-core phone. Their dual-core model was powered by the Exynos 4210 and their quad-core model is rumored to use the Exynos 4412, but that chip is not official yet so anything is game.

And the competition?

NVIDIA will steal the show at Mobile World Congress when it comes to mobile quad-core processors, but they won’t be the only game in town. Qualcomm will make a strong showing with their dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4, Texas Instruments will impress with their dual-core 1.8 GHz OMAP4470, and Samsung could reveal their dual-core 2.0 GHz Exynos 5250.

Even though Qualcomm, TI, and Samsung may have chips that offer faster performance, it looks like the average consumer already assumes that quad-core is better than dual-core. I believe most of these chips will offer performance numbers in the same ball park, and the average consumer doesn’t care who wins the different benchmark scores. It will come down to which OEM can best take advantage of the hardware they choose and who can deliver new user experiences that will excite the customer.

My prediction? With Samsung holding their Galaxy S III for a separate event later in the year, HTC comes away with the best smartphone of MWC 2012.

Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Verizon Galaxy Nexus as his daily device. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. Tagged#Exynos 4412#Fujitsu Arrows#HTC Endeavor#HTC Supreme#Jen-Hsun Huang#LG X3#Meizu MX#mobile world congress#mwc2012#quad-core#speculation#Tegra 3 .nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; }.nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; } 29 Comments Join the discussion!Sort by DateRating

70Alexander drzfr3shboialex 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5

I can’t wait!!! #excited Take that apple ;)

95YMS123 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

HTC with Nvidia processor!? TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!! Just put one on Sprint please

72Jeff Pan 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

I just hope that really happens!

56tmihai20 3 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

I don’t understand this hype about HTC with Nvidia chips. I would get pumped up if HTC would start making their comeback. I especially love the Huawei phones, they had a long road coming from extremely cheap, but useful phones to the high end phones they are announcing now. Asus is on the right track, even if Transformer has GPS issues. Samsung said they reserved a separate event, but I believe they will bring more 5 inches devices. Fujitsu comes as a surprise to me and LG has a lot to prove. I will especially monitor the news about tablets

31txbluesman 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2

ASUS….just wicked!

94Marcus 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

All these phones look amazing! I can’t wait to see what else OEMs can show at MWC :-)

100BiGMERF 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

should be fun reading the reports and watching the videos

FulamanGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4

Why are the phones all using Capacitive Touchscreen buttons still?

92Nate B. 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4

That’s one, thing I wish people would understand, just because it says its quad core they assume more is better when Sammy has a dual core that can pump out more. Either way I hope they find a way to get the use out of it. Application and performance wise. Real HD displays and battery life. Awesome premium applications to go with it.

FulamanGuest 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

We don’t know for sure if Samsung will use a Dual-core. For all we know it could be an A15 Quadcore

99Taylor Wimberly 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

First A15 chips will be 2x A15 cores. But someone could add some little CPU cores and still get away with calling their SoC a quad-core.

34Chris Lewis 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

Nice roundup on MWC. Can’t wait to see what actually comes out!!!

27classic_hero 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3

the anticipation is slowly killing me

93Dan13 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

You and me both.

56tmihai20 3 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

This is the best part! The anticipation is what makes it worth waiting for :) The good thing is that I will be able to watch it live (I live in Europe) :D

anang ariefGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -3

good

86jimtravis 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2

Agree it would be nice if the vendors showed the benefits of quad-core with actual (beta) apps that take advantage of it, not just treat quad-core as a feature checklist item, and move on to another checklist item.

82Hall Lo 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

Cant wait! More quad-core Android devices plz! ;D

kosarGuest 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -3

i think the phones are good enough to be just smart phones and the size wise !! i think 4-4.3inch is enough bigger than that iys not for most of guys .
whats important is battery life and nice screen , and fonts such as arabic ( right to left ) its shame that a tablet that worth a lot of money wont read right to left fonts ….

14Zak Lambert 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3

I’ll just wait for the next round. Sense 4 is ugly and so are capacitive buttons.

31Kenneth Ohonba 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

Awesome phones gets me excited lol.

Mr. GreenGuest 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1

HTC please kill capacitive buttons and exchange them with on-screen buttons like the Galaxy Nexus,

Right now your future android phones and windows phones will have 3 capacitive buttons and would be hard to notice the different between both, kills the uniqueness of each.

94AsakuraZero 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

my money is on the padphone, why? its modular design they make them more sexy and fk samsung and their A15 chip.

aside of being a fanboy, lets see whats happen, it would be nice to see more A15 cores on the phones.

a15 on a padphone sounds sexy and way too possible

92spazby 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

As exciting or even more exciting than CES…

91schofieldesign 5 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

I’m gonna have to say more exciting. One of these phones will be my next

1laden_ea 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

htc will be the show stealer for sure……

33cthonctic 2 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0

Wow, the Edge does look like a pretty nice package. This could bring HTC right back to the top in my eyes.

Some of the other devices look nice as well (look as in how I imagine them to handle in my hand, of course), but I really want to see what the GSIII offers before seriously thinking about getting any of these.

Mr. GreenGuest 58 mins ago Thumb upThumb down 0

Also,

HTC Sensation XL successor would be amazing, something akin to the Samsung Galaxy Note would be wicked!