Skip to main content

Filed under:

Quad-core phones at MWC

Quad-core mobile processors are still a novelty, but they've made a solid showing at MWC 2012. Nvidia's Tegra 3 quad-core chip has been included in several phones and Huawei has introduced a quad-core processor of its own, using it to power what it dubs the "world's fastest smartphone," the Ascend D Below is everything we've seen so far.

  • Feb 29, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Nvidia's Tegra 3 sits on the sidelines in the big LTE game

    Gallery Photo: HTC One X hands-on
    Gallery Photo: HTC One X hands-on

    The biggest splash of MWC 2012 was made by HTC's One X, a 4.7-inch Android 4.0 phone whose skyscraping spec sheet is built around the quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Unless you live in the United States, that is. In the world's most important smartphone market, HTC will be shipping the One X with a dual-core chip. Wherefore, you ask? Simple: AT&T is the network carrying the phone and, much like its nearest and dearest rival Verizon, it now demands LTE in all of its high-end smartphones.

    You can't have a hero device on either of the two big US carriers without an LTE modem in it. And the trouble for Nvidia is that there are no current Tegra 3 LTE configurations for someone like HTC to offer to AT&T. The One X swaps out the four-core chip with Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4, which not only brings LTE to the table but integrates it right into the chipset as well. Setting aside the issue of which application processor provides better performance — which is far from a settled one at this point — the situation right now is that Qualcomm's modem is what carriers are after. By being the foremost provider of LTE modems, and by tying them to its own processor, Qualcomm is effectively precluding the conversation about whether Tegra or Snapdragon is the premier hardware platform in the US.

    Read Article >
  • David Pierce

    Feb 28, 2012

    David Pierce

    K-Touch Treasure V8: hands-on with the fifth Tegra 3 phone

    Gallery Photo: K-Touch Treasure V8 pictures
    Gallery Photo: K-Touch Treasure V8 pictures

    Last night, Nvidia announced the first batch of phones that will run its new Tegra 3 processor. There was the HTC One X, the ZTE Era, the Fujistu "superphone," the LG Optimus 4X HD... and the K-Touch Treasure V8. The mysterious Treasure V8 had yet to be announced, and it still hasn't made its official debut, but we got to check out the brand-new handset here at MWC.

    The version we saw was a pre-production model and unfortunately wouldn't even turn on, but we pieced together some crucial details: it has a 4.3-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera, and it will run Android 4.0 — Nvidia reps told us all Tegra 3 phones will run Ice Cream Sandwich, not because they must but because it doesn't make sense to go backward in OS and forward in processor. It also feels really nice in the hand, the white handset sitting comfortably and feeling quite sturdy with metallic sides, though we can't say we love the glossy back. The phone will be manufactured by Chinese company Tianyu — the K-Touch brand is among Tianyu's flagship phone lineups, and though it seems unlikely we'll ever see this phone stateside it looks like a winner. At least, once they get it to turn on.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 28, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    HTC's dark materials: hands-on photos with the gray One S, black One X

    Gallery Photo: HTC One S in gray and One X in black hands on photos
    Gallery Photo: HTC One S in gray and One X in black hands on photos

    The black version of the One S is where HTC has set itself apart, applying a process called "micro arc oxidation" that was originally created for satellites. HTC bathes the aluminum body in a plasma field, blasting it with 10,000 volts of electricity to turn the surface into a ceramic that's four times harder and more scratch-resistant than untreated, anodized aluminum. The result is a very dark black finish that feels a bit like a chalkboard — HTC calls it "feathery," but we'd say that's an overly euphemistic way to describe it. HTC showed a video of the process during its keynote, and it's quite a sight to behold:

    Finally, HTC also had the black version of the HTC One X, which was a pre-production unit and felt very slightly rougher than the white version, but HTC tells us that both are made the same way and the final finish on them will be identical.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 27, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    ZTE Era and PF112 HD: two Android 4.0 smartphones that should be just one (hands-on photos and video)

    Gallery Photo: ZTE PF112 hands-on pictures
    Gallery Photo: ZTE PF112 hands-on pictures

    Despite being the so-called flagship, the Era managed to get shown up by the PF112 HD in at least one category: the screen. Of all of ZTE's phones today, the PF112 stands out the most with its 4.5-inch 1028 x 720 screen. It's not the best screen we've seen here at MWC, but it's certainly the best standout feature ZTE had on display, and it's a bit of a bummer that it came on a device with no announced processor or clear launch plan that we could divine — it is also an HSPA+ phone.

    As far as styling goes, neither phone tries anything extreme. Capacitive buttons are still present, as is a look that somehow manages to "borrow" from both Samsung and HTC in equal measure. That's not a knock on their build quality, which seemed fine, but ZTE clearly hasn't established its own brand identity yet.

    Read Article >
  • Chris Ziegler

    Feb 27, 2012

    Chris Ziegler

    Fujitsu quad-core Tegra 3 prototype Android phone hands-on

    Gallery Photo: Fujitsu quad-core Tegra 3 prototype Android phone hands-on photos
    Gallery Photo: Fujitsu quad-core Tegra 3 prototype Android phone hands-on photos

    The Tegra 3 Android handset that Fujitsu had showed behind glass at CES is now out and ready for demonstration here at Mobile World Congress this week. It doesn't have a name yet — the company is simply calling it a "quad-core prototype" — but it's an early look at what it expects to launch across North America, Europe, and China sometime around Q4 of this year, part of a global expansion in mobile beyond its traditional Japanese roots.

    The hardware felt somewhat loosely put together, but it's hard to fault the device for that — it's still the better part of a year away from production, and Fujitsu was clear to us that we're not looking at a final design. Though it has physical buttons below the display, we're told those are specific to the Japanese market; it's a nod to the fact that Japan is still transitioning away from numeric keypad devices. Other markets should probably expect to see some other design here (either capacitive hard buttons or Galaxy Nexus-style soft buttons). All will be waterproof enough to survive a drop in a puddle.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 27, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    ZTE Era announced with Tegra 3, 4.3-inch screen, and Android 4.0

    zte era
    zte era

    ZTE has announced the Era, a quad-core Android 4.0 smartphone with a Nvidia Tegra 3 SoC, 4.3-inch 960 x 540 qHD Screen, and a body that's only 7.8mm thin. The Tegra 3 processor's a quad-core chip clocked at 1.3GHz, which ZTE has backed with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage.

    In terms of connectivity, the handset offers a quad-band cell radio with HSPA+ support, along with Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, and UMA support for Wi-Fi calling. There's also a MHL port for hooking up your handset to the TV, HD Voice capability, Dolby-engineered sound, and DLNA for streaming your media to other capable devices. Judging by the images, ZTE's Mifavor skin doesn't look like too much of a departure over the stock Ice Cream Sandwich experience. The company says that the handset will launch in Europe and China in the second half of 2012, though it hasn't announced a price just yet.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 26, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    HTC One X for AT&T pictures, video, and hands-on preview

    Gallery Photo: HTC One X hands-on
    Gallery Photo: HTC One X hands-on

    HTC's new flagship is here: the HTC One X is in the vanguard of not just the new "One" lineup, but of HTC's mini-revival for 2012. Based on our brief time with it, we think the phone will manage to pull off both of those heavy tasks, though whether it will be enough to fend off Samsung's rumored Galaxy S III is sadly going to be an open question until later this year. For now, the HTC One X impresses on its own terms and specs, and what great specs they are.

    The first and most important thing about the One X is its screen: a 4.7-inch 720p "Super LCD 2" panel that is simply better than anything we've seen on the market. It's bright and crisp, of course, but as we turned and twisted the phone we were literally unable to come up with a viewing angle that contained any distortion or discoloration.

    Read Article >
  • Feb 26, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    HTC One X announced for April release with quad-core Tegra 3, 4.7-inch HD display, and Android 4.0

    HTC One X
    HTC One X

    Camera performance has been a real priority for HTC with the One series and all three of its newly launched Android handsets come with a selection of important optimizations. Firstly, a dedicated imaging processor has been added to allow the One phones to manipulate pictures before compressing them to JPEG format. HTC expects this to result in lower image noise, greater color accuracy, and higher overall quality.

    HTC has exited its design comfort zone with the One X by trying out a new material, polycarbonate, and a new microdrilling technique. While still constructed out of one chunk of material and thereby earning the unibody moniker, the One X is now a softer, more tactile device than its metallic forebears. It'll be offered in either white or grey hues, with the move away from aluminum allowing the lighter version to be white all over. By drilling the speaker openings right into the polycarbonate, HTC has shed another chunk of metal in discarding the separate speaker grille.

    Read Article >
  • David Pierce

    Feb 26, 2012

    David Pierce

    Huawei Ascend D quad: hands-on with the fastest smartphone in the world

    Huawei Ascend D quad
    Huawei Ascend D quad

    Huawei's latest flagship device, the Ascend D quad, is supposedly "the world's fastest smartphone." So, naturally, as soon as the company's MWC press conference was over, we had to go take a look for ourselves. The D quad is definitely a sight to behold, particularly the 4.5-inch 720p display — the screen's very bright, and the viewing angles are excellent. It's not the thinnest phone we've seen, but its 8.8mm body definitely cuts a slim figure, and actually feels smaller in the hand than most 4.5-inch phones.

    Of course, most of the appeal of the D quad is its internal processing power, and that's hard to grasp fully from only a couple of minutes with the device. We'll keep trying to put the phone through its paces, and we'll keep you updated as we go.

    Read Article >
  • David Pierce

    Feb 26, 2012

    David Pierce

    Huawei debuts Ascend D quad, 'the world's fastest smartphone'

    Ascend D quad
    Ascend D quad

    MWC is just getting under way, and Huawei's kicking off the show with a new flagship smartphone: the Ascend D quad. Part of the company's new "Diamond" series of handsets, the D quad is powered by a quad-core processor, and Huawei says it's "the world's fastest smartphone." It's running Android 4.0, with three capacitive buttons below the 4.5-inch, 720p display. The handset runs on Huawei's new K3V2 quad-core processor, clocked as high as 1.5GHz, and is just 8.9mm thick and weighs 4.6 ounces — it's not LTE compatible yet, but Huawei said it will be this year. There's an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter — the former shoots 1080p video. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is integrated, along with earSmart technology that does some pretty remarkable things with noise cancellation. There's an 1800mAh battery keeping everything going, and given the sheer power inside this phone it'll need all the battery it can get — though Huawei claims its new processor tech should make your phone considerably longer-lasting.

    That K3 processor is the real hook here. Huawei claims the Ascend D quad is 49 percent faster than "the other fastest smartphones in the world," and though we're not sure what those phones are, it's a pretty bold claim. Reps focused on everything from the Dialer to the Gallery to rooting, saying over and over that the Ascend D quad is as fast as it gets. Throughout the company's announcement, various features of the D quad were compared to the iPhone 4S, Galaxy Nexus, and other flagship phones, none of which could measure up — Huawei's swinging for the fences with this device.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 26, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on photos and video

    Gallery Photo: LG 3D Max Hands On
    Gallery Photo: LG 3D Max Hands On

    We played with the 4X for a few minutes here in LG's booth ahead of the official opening of Mobile World Congress tomorrow, and it definitely feels like a departure from every other Optimus model we've used in the past — the texturing on the rear and the clean squared-off styling is definitely indicative of a high-end device (which the 4X certainly is). In our brief testing, it's fast, but you really can't be sure about how well the Tegra 3 is going to hold up under pressure until you load the phone down with apps and full desktop versions of websites.

    Is it ready to take Samsung's next-gen Galaxy S model head-to-head? We've got a couple complaints that knock it down a notch: for one, there's some odd design in the chrome styling along all four edges, which looks more suited for a low-end device that's trying to look aspirational (and failing). Don't get us wrong — the appearance of the 4X overall is quite nice — but this particular detail is oddly out of place. Perhaps more importantly, the 4X has just three capacitive buttons along the bottom (as most native Android 4.0 devices are expected to have), but strangely, the third button is operating the menu, not the multitasking screen. This seems like it's probably just a nuance of the pre-release firmware, though, because a hard menu key simply doesn't make sense here — and the iconography leads us to believe that multitasking is the intended function anyway.

    Read Article >
  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 23, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    LG Optimus 4X HD announced with quad-core Tegra 3, Android 4.0

    Gallery Photo: LG Optimus 4X HD press images
    Gallery Photo: LG Optimus 4X HD press images

    We've already seen leaked benchmarks for the LG Optimus 4X HD (née X3) and they're quite good: it grabbed a Quadrant score of 4,412, well above even the Galaxy Note. LG says it will be available in Europe in the second quarter.

    Read Article >