Nvidia Bringing Tegra to the Android Platform

Nvidia has allied with the Open Handset Alliance and Google to support the increasingly popular open-source Android software platform. Advanced graphics and better battery life on the way.

The Tegra chips combine an ARM-based processor core and a GeForce graphics core coupled with features such as OpenGL ES 2.0, programmable pixel shader, vertex and lighting and most of all Direct3D Mobile support. Other features such as 1080p and 720p H.264 decoding are just icing on the cake. Power requirements of Tegra chips is also relatively low offering up amazing performance without much worry for carrying around pockets full of spare batteries.

The current lineup of Tegra chips includes the Tegra 600 running at 700 MHz, Tegra 650 running at 800 MHz and the APX 2500 and 2600 running anywhere between 600 MHz to 800 MHz as of the time of this writing.

Nvidia’s decision to support the Android platform is an attempt to drive Tegra adoption among major smartphone makers. Nvidia displayed an Android-based phone or device with a Tegra chip this week at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC). Nvidia also wants to help bring about affordable Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) to the general public based on the Android&Tegra convergence. A $99 Tegra-based MID is also expected to be announced by Nvidia at the MWC this week.

This new Tegra based MID includes full high-definition 1080p video playback and full Wi-FI and 3G mobile broadband connectivity capabilities. The “always-on” device can go for days between battery charges according to Nvidia. No other details are available at this time.