Hard core
The mobile phone has entered the dual-core era with the launch of the LG Optimus 2X, which is the first phone to run NVIDIA's Tegra 2, which in turn is the first dual-core SoC to appear in a phone.
The press release announced it's "the world's first and fastest dual-core smartphone". To be pedantic, of course it's the fastest if it's the first, but we get the message.
"Dual-core technology is the next leap forward in mobile technology so this is no small achievement to be the first to offer a smartphone utilising this technology," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG. "With unique features such as HDMI mirroring and exceptional graphics performance, the LG Optimus 2X is proof of LG's commitment to high-end smartphones in 2011."
This is quite a big deal for both LG and NVIDIA. The Korean electronics giant hasn't exactly been synonymous with smartphone innovation, with many of its launches being mid-range ‘me too' products, rather than true ground-breakers. Meanwhile NVIDIA has been talking about Tegra 2 for over a year, with little end-product to show for it.
There have been a few Tegra 2 tablets launched, but this is the first phone to run it. And given that Qualcomm and TI have yet to get their dual-core SoCs into phones, to the best of our knowledge, it does seem likely that this is the first ever dual-core phone.
The LG Optimus 2X will launch in Korea next month, with Europe and the rest of Asia to follow at an unspecified time. It will initially come with Android 2.2, but will upgrade to 2.3 eventually. Here are some specs and a couple of piccies.
- 1Ghz Dual-core Processor (NVIDIA Tegra 2)
- 4-inch WVGA screen
- 8GB memory (up to 32GB via microSD)
- 1,500 mAh battery
- 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera
- HDMI mirroring
- 1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording
