dual-core

Qualcomm expects the first Snapdragon-powered Windows 8 PC to arrive a year from now, marking the entry into a lucrative new business for the wireless chip company.

Qualcomm is already working with Microsoft to ensure that computers running on the next-generation operating system will be able to run on its chips based on ARM's technology, which sacrifice processing power for more energy efficiency and ability to always remain connected. Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said he sees a majority of the Windows 8 products coming after the end of fiscal 2012, which comes in September.

"We're going to … Read more

In the face of disappointing sales of Windows smartphones, Microsoft plans to release dual-core and LTE phones.

Windows Phone President Andy Lees told AllThingsD in a story posted yesterday that dual-core phones are coming, though he wouldn't offer specifics. Lees also said the current collection of single-core Windows phones holds up well compared with dual-core Android phones.

"They're all single core, but I suspect that they will be faster in usage than any dual-core phone that you put against it, and that's the point," Lees said.

He also said LTE phones are coming but did … Read more

Missed the big Apple announcement Tuesday? Re-live it with the Buzz crew as we recap the live feeds of Apple's iPhone presentation. Spoiler alert: there's no iPhone 5.

With Apple now on the record about an October 4 iPhone event, analysts are reaffirming their prognostications about the phone's hardware--and adding an item or two to a growing list of specifications.

Chris Whitmore, Deutsche Bank Equity Research, said in a research note Monday that he expects an iPhone 5 with aluminum unibody construction, better camera, and a slightly larger screen size. No big surprise there.

Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, said on Tuesday he expects better graphics silicon--not unlike the big performance increase that Apple boasted about for the iPad 2.

Piper Jaffray's Gene … Read more

The LG Optimus 2X was the first dual-core smartphone to hit the market late last year with its 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, and it soon came to the U.S. in the form of the T-Mobile G2X. Since its announcement, there have been a veritable array of dual-core smartphones, and interestingly, all of them have been Android so far. These dual-core processors promise plenty of power and speed, and they do live up to the claims. Navigation feels undeniably zippy, which makes multitasking a breeze. Here's our roundup of the most recent phones with dual-core processors.

The Samsung Galaxy S II is one of the better dual-core smartphones to catch our eye. The combination of the 1.2GHz dual-core processor and the Super AMOLED Plus display makes Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Samsung's TouchWiz drool-worthy. While the Galaxy S II we initially reviewed was the unlocked global version, Samsung has announced versions of this phone to arrive for Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Indeed, the Sprint version--the Samsung Epic 4G Touch--is available now.

Sprint also offers the Motorola Photon 4G, which has a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and compatibility with Sprint's 4G/WiMax network. It's not as slim and attractive as the Galaxy, however.… Read more

Recent rumors about the iPhone 5 have claimed that Apple would bump up the screen size to at least 4 inches, but a story from DigiTimes offers a contrary take.

Citing sources from "upstream panel suppliers," DigiTimes rebuts the claims that the iPhone would sport a 4.2-inch screen size, which it says sprang from a leak from Apple's Web site in Switzerland early this month. Alleged design specs for iPhone 5 cases even prompted MacRumors to create some mockups of the new phone showing off a 4-inch screen.

But DigiTimes' sources say the iPhone 5 won'… Read more

Nvidia's CEO boasted about the power frugality of an upcoming quad-core chip, as the company reported better-than-expected earnings today.

The graphics chip supplier swung to better-than-expected earnings in the fiscal second quarter ended July 31, buttressed by revenue from laptop graphics processing units used with systems built around Intel's "Sandy Bridge" processors.

Nvidia reported a profit of $151.6 million compared with a loss of $141 million in the year-earlier period. Revenue surged 25 percent to $1.02 billion. And gross margin--a critical profit indicator--jumped to 51.7 percent from 16.6 percent compared to last … Read more

If you thought this year's dual-core smartphones were fast and powerful, wait until you hear what Samsung has cooking. According to an unnamed official, Samsung is planning to go a step further and release a 2GHz dual-core smartphone by next year.

Yes, that means that your Android handset could rival your Netbook or laptop in terms of processing prowess. It is very likely that these new chipsets will fall under the new Exynos brand that was announced earlier this year. Samsung is also rumored to be considering selling these new CPU units to other smartphone makers.

After having spent … Read more

The iPad 2 is "winning" with two double-your-fun hardware features. Buh-bye iPad 1.

After using the iPad 2 for a few weeks, I can now say the upgrade was worth it. Even waiting in line with the huddled Los Angeles masses, yearning for the iPad 2, was worth it.

Allow me to insert a brief parenthetical by saying I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't mention there's always a psychological need to justify the purchase of a pricey gadget. Not unlike seeking absolution for a sin. That said, I'm pretty sure this review … Read more