Nvidia Enter Handheld Graphics Race with Mobile GeForce

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.nvidia.com/page/handheld.html' target='_blank'>http://www.nvidia.com/page/handheld.html</a><br /><br /></div>Hot on the heels of Intel's Marathon announcement, Nvidia have announced that they have a whole family of mobile graphical processors in the offering. These are the GeForce 2100, 2150, 3000 and 4000. "Today’s mobile phones are evolving into complete multimedia devices where voice capabilities are just one of many different features. From high-resolution digital photography to full-motion video and interactive games, mobile phones are now used for a myriad of multimedia applications. The NVIDIA® GoForce™ 4000 media processors deliver megapixel digital photo resolution, full motion video playback and capture, richer graphics, better display quality, and longer battery life for the most advanced, multimedia-rich mobile phones." A phone where voice capacity is 'just another feature', now where have we <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24884&amp;">heard that</a> before? :wink: <br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/img11273.jpg" /><br /><br />"The GoForce 4000 offers a host of advanced features for mobile phones, including support for three megapixel image capture, high-quality 30 frames per second video capture and playback, accelerated graphics for gaming, video conferencing, and NVIDIA nPower technology that enables all these multimedia features while optimizing performance and minimizing the impact on battery life. " The more detailed specs for the top end processor include: Embedded Memory of 640K, Megapixel Camera Support for up to 3MP, 8x Digital Zoom, Video Conferencing, MPEG-4 Encode, MPEG-4 Decode, JPEG Encode, JPEG Decode, SD/SDIO Support and a Max. Display Resolution of 640x480. <br /><br />Hopefully Intel and Nvidia will work towards outcompeting each other with their mobile GPUs, constantly adding features &amp; dropping the price. Forget VGA, what about a XVGA screen running 3D games smoothly at 60fps? Of course, lets talk about the impact on battery life of these powerful chips…... :?

[Zack Mahdavi]

Frankly, I'm getting tired of all of this excess junk that's being added into cell phones... I don't play games. I don't download themes, extra ringtones, wallpapers, etc.

Cell phone providers should focus on providing improved service, good reception, and better quality rather than forcing all of this junk down consumer's throats.

In terms of cell phone manufacturers, all I want is a super-small phone with built-in-bluetooth, excellent reception, and excellent battery life. Is that so hard?

Too bad cell phone manufacturers aren't listening to me... :?

[The Half-Ling]

Sounds cool, wouldn't mind an RaedonPPC Catalyst 4.5! mmm...iPAQ BFV!

Jake-

[JGRicci]

zkmusa:

Verizonwireless carries the v60 series just for people like you! No crap, amazing battery life.. functionally sound. speakerphone.. and really cheap.

[jonathanchoo]

In terms of cell phone manufacturers, all I want is a super-small phone with built-in-bluetooth, excellent reception, and excellent battery life. Is that so hard?

Too bad cell phone manufacturers aren't listening to me... :?

Get an old T68m then! It is small, lasted for up to a week on standby and 5 hours talk time, excellent Bluetooth and reception. No camera built in. Nice screen. It has wallpaper and theme functions but you don't need to use it. Or the newer T610 and T630 which is nicer overall although has less battery life. If you can hunt down an old T39m even better. No colout screen and super small size but amazing battery life. One of the first mobile to have built in Bluetooth but still outdo most mobile manufacturers like Motorola and Nokia.

On the subject, I think nVidia should concentrate on improving their GeForce Go on notebook first and atleast try to get their next generation GPU's out. Radeon 9800 XT blows the FX5950 away. I am just waiting for Radeon X800 to be released in time for Doom III.

As far as mpeg video is concerned, I am waiting for the Archos AV500 (first ever harddisk PDA) to be released with 40Gb HDD, 704x480 (beat that Asus!) LCD touch screen, 30fps DivX, Mpeg and WMV support with Linux's OS at the size of an old Jornada.

[Zack Mahdavi]

In terms of cell phone manufacturers, all I want is a super-small phone with built-in-bluetooth, excellent reception, and excellent battery life. Is that so hard?

Too bad cell phone manufacturers aren't listening to me... :?

Get an old T68m then! It is small, lasted for up to a week on standby and 5 hours talk time, excellent Bluetooth and reception. No camera built in. Nice screen. It has wallpaper and theme functions but you don't need to use it. Or the newer T610 and T630 which is nicer overall although has less battery life. If you can hunt down an old T39m even better. No colout screen and super small size but amazing battery life. One of the first mobile to have built in Bluetooth but still outdo most mobile manufacturers like Motorola and Nokia.

I actually have a T610, but I don't use any of the features except for the bluetooth. I'd pay for a "T610" that's smaller and lighter and without the color screen. :)

The T68 is a great phone, but I've read problems about the operating system being slow and unstable? That's why I held out for the T610.

[Deltrevan]

Frankly, I'm getting tired of all of this excess junk that's being added into cell phones... I don't play games. I don't download themes, extra ringtones, wallpapers, etc.

Cell phone providers should focus on providing improved service, good reception, and better quality rather than forcing all of this junk down consumer's throats.



FINALLY! Someone besides me saying this. I am totally with you zkmusa!

Phones are phones, people! All of these "features" are aimed at the teeny bopper crowd anyway. Then when they get them, they want to know: Why is my picture quality crappy? Why does my battery die halfway through the day? Why do I have to pay extra to download all this stuff that I thought was included? How come my phone will only hold six MP3s? ......PLEASE!

You are also 100% right that these phones are little more than feeble attempts to milk their customer base for additional revenue. I definitely agree that the phone manufacturers should concentrate on making solid, reliable, affordable handsets, and stop trying to create the ultimate end all be all electronic enteratinment device. Gartner itself said two weeks ago that if cell phone manufacturers wanted to survive long term, that they should focus on their core capabilities.

When you buy a phone that "plays games", "takes pictures" and "keeps your agenda", you know what you're getting? A half a**ed organizer, camera and gameboy that doesn't do ANY of it's tasks well enough to justify its' existence. Consumers should buy the devices they need that specialize in the tasks they are trying to accomplish, and get away from these pipe dreams. There is only disappointment waiting at the end of the pipe.

I use a Motorola V-60 (and have for a couple of years now), and couldn't be happier. You know what it does for me? IT MAKES PHONE CALLS!! And does it quite well I might add. I see absolutely NO reason to trade up, and don't foresee a reason coming down the pike for quite some time.

[jonathanchoo]

In terms of cell phone manufacturers, all I want is a super-small phone with built-in-bluetooth, excellent reception, and excellent battery life. Is that so hard?

Too bad cell phone manufacturers aren't listening to me... :?

Get an old T68m then! It is small, lasted for up to a week on standby and 5 hours talk time, excellent Bluetooth and reception. No camera built in. Nice screen. It has wallpaper and theme functions but you don't need to use it. Or the newer T610 and T630 which is nicer overall although has less battery life. If you can hunt down an old T39m even better. No colout screen and super small size but amazing battery life. One of the first mobile to have built in Bluetooth but still outdo most mobile manufacturers like Motorola and Nokia.

I actually have a T610, but I don't use any of the features except for the bluetooth. I'd pay for a "T610" that's smaller and lighter and without the color screen. :)

The T68 is a great phone, but I've read problems about the operating system being slow and unstable? That's why I held out for the T610.

T630 is similar to T610 but slightly shorter

[Zack Mahdavi]

FINALLY! Someone besides me saying this. I am totally with you zkmusa!

I'm glad I'm not the only one! You made some very good points as well.

[enemy2k2]

I agree with all of the above as well. It was especially painfull choosing phones for my parents when they wanted to upgrade. So much crap in most of them with stupid menus for everything. I personally like the idea of a smartphone, though not until they're as small as regular phones and all the 'value added' stuff is hidden away from core functionality. I wouldn't mind something like the upcoming mpx100 though :wink:

[milkman dan]

I have to say I disagree with you on that one. I have an lg 5450 that I paid almost 400CAD for, and the gaming capabilities of that phone are compleatly useless. It is a good phone, but I bought it hoping to pass the time playing games with while waiting for the bus. Now, I walk around with my $400 cell phone in my left pocket, and my $300 ipaq2215 in my other :( I am waiting for cell phones AND PDA's to morph into one product. Once pda's all have cell phone capabilities, MUCH better batteries, hardrives, 2GHz cpu's, and USB PORTS, I will be happy. Untill then... KEEP THE GOOD STUFF COMING NVIDIA. One of these days I will throw out my PC, cell phone, and PDA and pick up one of these super devices :D Hell, they've already got working brain-to-computer interface that works great on monkeys, so this stuff shouldn't be to far off :D

[Darius Wey]

I don't know how we ended up talking about mobile phones from a thread about NVIDIA mobile processors, but now for a breath of new air:

NVIDIA have just announced the GoForce 4500 with a built-in 3D core and it features 0.15-micron process architecture. You can read more about it here (http://www.commsdesign.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=47900332).

EDIT: Or just visit NVIDIA's GoForce 4500 page here (http://www.nvidia.com/page/goforce_3d_4500.html).