NVIDIA Tegra 2 currently provides more than enough horsepower for tablets to perform many functions and processes requiring high processing speed. Tegra 3 closely follows Qualcomm’s ambition to see a 1.5-GHz quad-core design that would be more than twice as fast as Tegra 2. The fast processing power will improve development, customizations, and faster-performing apps.
Tegra 3 also brings many new capabilities and advancements that will make it the next hot topic in the Android market. Major case in point is the notion of Blu-ray driving in tablets is silly, but the chip’s support for it could mean that NVIDIA envisions the Tegra 3 as something that can also be used in ultraportable laptops, all-in-one desktops, or kiosks. Tegra 3 will have triple the graphics power onboard to decode Blu-Ray DVD. Tegra 3 will have a 12-core GPU with a capability to run flawless 3D stereo.
Considering the faster speed, you would expect Tegra 3 to draw a lot of power. It actually draws even lesser power than the Tegra 2. To keep the power draw reasonable, it would have a ultra low power processor mode to cut down the clock speed or number of active cores translating to longer battery life. As with earlier Tegras, NVIDIA would have both the full-power tablet version, the T30 optimized for 1920×1200 display, and a smartphone-optimized AP30 that would be limited to a 1366×768 main display but still have the quad-core option.
Test samples of the Tegra 3 have already started leaving the factory but NVIDIA isn’t expected to ship the new components until this fall. Odd are the Tegra 3 won’t be in stores until early 2012 for most devices.
We are looking forward to the speed and opportunities that the Tegra 3 will have in store for all new Android devices.