Android and Me

Preview: How will upcoming dual-core CPUs like Exynos, OMAP4, and Snapdragon match up with Tegra 2?
Motorola Droid 3 to feature OMAP4, Motorola Targa to be first phone with quad-core NVIDIA Kal-El?
Official: Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will launch on March 27th for $599

Preview: How will upcoming dual-core CPUs like Exynos, OMAP4, and Snapdragon match up with Tegra 2?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:33 PM PDT

NVIDIA was first to market with a mobile, dual-core CPU and their Tegra 2 took the lead in our last round of performance benchmarks. Now the competition has finally caught up and we will soon have four legitimate super chips to choose from in the next six months. Which dual-core platform will be the fastest this summer? Read on after the jump for a performance preview of the Exynos, OMAP4, and Snapdragon to see how they stack up with Tegra 2.

Dual-core Android phone lineup

For this round of comparisons we will match up five different dual-core smartphones. We have two released phones based on Tegra 2 (Atrix 4G and Optimus 2X) and three upcoming phones, each with a different system-on-a-chip (SoC).

Keep in mind that the Optimus 3D, Galaxy S II, and HTC Shooter were all benchmarked on pre-production software so the final performance numbers could be enhanced.

Also note that the Atrix 4G and HTC Shooter feature qHD displays that have a higher resolution (960 x 540) so they have to push 30% more pixels.

Smartbench 2011 productivity

Smartbench 2011 is a rather new benchmark, so we have been unable to run it on the LG Optimus 3D or Samsung Galaxy S II.

Qualcomm has not allowed us to benchmark their dual-core Snapdragon, but Smartphonebenchmarks.com spotted a test result in the Smartbench 2011 database of the HTC Pyramid (Shooter).

In the Smartbench 2011 Productivity suite the Atrix 4G scored 2856, the Optimus 2X scored 2791, and the HTC Pyramid (Shooter) scored 1743.

This is one of the few benchmarks that is multi-threaded so we expected the dual-core Snapdragon to perform better. In this round of tests, the Tegra 2 phones are around 60% faster.

Smartbench 2011 Games

Once again, Smartbench 2011 is a rather new, so we have been unable to run it on the LG Optimus 3D or Samsung Galaxy S II.

For some reason it does not appear that the different resolution has a great impact on results in this test. Both the Optimus 2X and Atrix 4G feature a Tegra 2 and have similar scores (~5%), even though the Atrix has to push 30% more pixels.

Surprisingly, the Tegra 2 devices score 45-50% faster than the dual-core Snapdragon.

GLBenchmark 2.0.3 Egypt

The HTC Shooter benchmark score was spotted on the GLBenchmark.com database. Scores for the Optimus 3D and Galaxy S II were taken from Anandtech.

In the GLBenchmark 2.0.3 Egypt test we can see the OMAP4-powered Optimus 3D take the lead. The OMAP4 uses a similar PowerVR SGX540 GPU as the Galaxy S devices, but Texas Instruments bumped up the clock speed.

The HTC Shooter and Motorola Atrix 4G both feature qHD displays, so we can see the Adreno 220 GPU outperforming the GeForce GPU in this test.

Bringing up the rear is the Samsung Galaxy S II with its ARM Mali 400 GPU. It scored lower than two devices that have higher resolutions, so we don’t know what’s going on in this test.

GLBenchmark 2.0 Pro

Scores for the Optimus 3D and Galaxy S II were taken from Anandtech. I benchmarked both of these devices at Mobile World Congress last month and found similar results. We have no score for the HTC Shooter in this test.

Once again the OMAP4 with its PowerVR SGX540 GPU takes the lead. The Atrix 4G is the only device in this test with a qHD display, so it has the lowest score as we would expect.

Conclusions

It is really hard to draw conclusions from a handful of benchmarks run on pre-production software, but we can still get an idea of how these future devices might stack up.

Samsung Exynos 4210 (Samsung Galaxy S II) – Even though we don’t have productivity benchmarks for the Exynos CPU, we expect it will be similar to Tegra 2 since both feature two of ARM’s 1 GHz Cortex-A9 cores. The scores of the ARM Mali 400 GPU were mixed, so we need to put it through some more testing when it comes out. The Galaxy S II was unveiled last month at MWC, but no US versions have been announced. Hopefully we will get some more info at this month’s CTIA and products should be in stores by late Q2 or early Q3.
Texas Instruments OMAP4430 (LG Optimus 3D) – The OMAP4 produced good results in a select few GPU benchmarks. This chip also has dual-core 1 GHz CPU using the Cortex-A9 cores, so it should offer similar productivity performance as the Tegra 2 and Exynos. The LG Optimus 3D is the only OMAP4 phone that has been announced, but Motorola’s Droid 3 is also rumored to include a chip from Texas Instruments. Look for these devices to debut in Q3.
Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8x60 (HTC Shooter) – Qualcomm’s Scorpion core is beginning to show its age. It underwent a die shrink from 65nm to 45nm and received a faster GPU, but this is the same CPU architecture that has been used since the first-generation Snapdragon. The original Scorpion core offered productivity performance similar to a Cortex-A8, but it is an entirely custom architecture designed by Qualcomm. The GPU benchmarks for the dual-core Snapdragon provided mixed results, so we need to put it through some more testing. Look for the HTC Shooter to debut on Sprint in late Q2 or early Q3.

Back in January I predicted that Tegra 2 won round 1 of the multi-core wars before these other devices were benchmarked and it looks like that might still come true. To summarize I thought Tegra 2 would become a hit since it was first to market, featured premium content, and was the reference platform for Honeycomb tablets.

NVIDIA has the most dual-core smartphones (Atrix 4G, Optimus 2X, Droid X2, Droid Bionic, and a Galaxy S II version) and so they should move the most units shipped this year. That means game developers are likely to target and optimize for the platform that has the largest user base.

I never focussed on performance because I figured most of the dual-core chips would have benchmark scores that were comparable. We can now see that the OMAP4 might end up with the fastest GPU, but we will have to wait and see how many game developers optimize their content for Texas Instrument’s chip. When it comes to productivity performance all of the devices with Cortex-A9 cores should offer similar, leading performance while the Snapdragon and its Scorpion core might lag behind.

AT&T is the only carrier with a dual-core Tegra 2 phone (their Atrix 4G), but we expect every carrier should have something to offer by Q2. T-Mobile will receive the LG G2x, Verizon will get the Motorola Droid Bionic, and Sprint has a few Tegra 2 surprises also in the works.

In closing, 2011 is the year of the dual-core CPU. We have already covered the numerous benefits of multi-core over single-core, so I suggest waiting for a dual-core phone on your carrier if you plan to upgrade in the next three months. If you already upgraded this last year and want to wait a little longer, we should have the first quad-core phone by Christmas with several more to follow in early 2012.

Which dual-core chip would you like to see in your next Android phone?

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Motorola Droid 3 to feature OMAP4, Motorola Targa to be first phone with quad-core NVIDIA Kal-El?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:46 AM PDT

New information has surfaced on a trio of upcoming Motorola phones headed to Verizon. We already knew that Verizon was launching the dual-core Droid Bionic later in Q2, but they also have a growing lineup of multi-core devices including the Droid X2, Droid 3 and Droid Targa. Read on after the jump for the latest rumors and speculation.

Motorola Droid X2

The Droid X2 is a refresh of the original Droid X, but this time Motorola went with a dual-core CPU. Rumored specs include a 1 GHz Tegra 2, 4.3 inch qHD display, 512 MB RAM, rear and front-facing cameras, and all the other bells and whistles of the original. Unlike the Droid Bionic which operates on Verizon’s 4G LTE network, the Droid X2 will only support Verizon 3G.

Look for this device to debut around early Q3 for $149-199 with a 2-year contract.

Motorola Droid 3

The keyboard-packing Droid is back again for its yearly update. Lately Motorola has been giving NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 a lot of love, but we hear the Droid 3 will still use a Texas Instruments chip like the first two versions. Rumored specs for the Droid 3 include a dual-core 1 GHz OMAP4430 CPU, 4 inch qHD display, rear and front facing cameras, and a five-row QWERTY keyboard. It is also said to be a global device and feature a SIM card slot for GSM networks.

We have yet to learn if the Droid 3 will support 4G LTE or be limited to 3G only. I expect the Droid 3 will appear on Verizon in early Q3.

Motorola Droid Targa

The most interesting Verizon device to leak out is the new Motorola Targa. This smartphone just appeared on Howard Forums and little is known about it other than a rumored Christmas release date.

Motorola launched the first dual-core phone in the US with the Atrix 4G, so there is a chance that the Targa could become the first quad-core phone. NVIDIA recently demoed their quad-core Project Kal-El and said we should expect smartphones with the chip by Christmas. Motorola has a good relationship with NVIDIA, so I think they should be in the running to get the first smartphone with Kal-El.

Verizon already has the most impressive lineup of upcoming Android device in the next six months and it looks like they will continue to lead throughout the remainder of 2011.

How would you grade the rumored upgrades to Verizon’s Droid family?

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Official: Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will launch on March 27th for $599

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:36 AM PDT

It’s official, the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will be heading to retails stores across the country on March 27^th and will be selling for a cool $600. We’ve heard countless rumors about the Wi-Fi only XOOM for quite a while, but the official press release from Motorola has finally answered all our lingering questions.

Specs on the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi are identical to those of the XOOM that’s available from Verizon, except for the CDMA and LTE radios for 3G and 4G connectivity. Anyone planning on purchasing the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi should be able to find it at their favorite brick and mortar or online retailer since Motorola will be trying to reach as many consumers as possible with the world’s first Honeycomb tablet.

Will any of you be picking up the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi on launch day or will you wait a bit for the inevitable price war between retailers once more Honeycomb tablets hit the market?

Show Press Release

Motorola Mobility Brings MOTOROLA XOOM™ Wi-Fi to United States

Innovative new tablet experience to be available from more than seven leading retailers nationwide

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the upcoming availability of MOTOROLA XOOM™ Wi-Fi edition from leading retailers across the United States starting March 27. Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club (select locations), Staples and Walmart will be offering the 10.1-inch widescreen HD tablet with Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb) through both online and retail store channels. The MSRP for MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi with 32 GB of memory will be $599.

“MOTOROLA XOOM is a truly innovative tablet – its design, coupled with being the first tablet to have Android 3.0, results in a user experience that is one-of-a-kind,” said Dan Papalia, vice president of retail sales for Motorola Mobility. “We are now continuing to expand the choices available to consumers with the MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi to be available soon from numerous leading retailers in the United States.”

In addition, the MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi will be available to commercial IT channels and regional retailers through a distribution agreement with Synnex Corporation, and regional carriers through Brightpoint, Inc.

MOTOROLA XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience – including widgets, true multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization – on a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display, enabling video content that’s richer and clearer than ever before. With a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM, MOTOROLA XOOM delivers exceptionally fast web-browsing performance. The latest Google Mobile services include Google Maps 5.0™ with 3D interaction and access to more than 3 million Google eBooks and apps from Android Market™. MOTOROLA XOOM also supports a Beta of Adobe® Flash® Player 10.2 downloadable from Android Market, enabling the delivery of rich Flash based web content including videos, casual games and rich Internet applications.

As the first device running Android 3.0, MOTOROLA XOOM benefits from our aggressive work with developers across the ecosystem through MOTODEV, Motorola’s developer support program to enable world-class tablet and smartphone experiences. These devices will be able to access more than 150,000 applications within the Android Market as well as the rapidly increasing number of applications optimized directly for the Android 3.0 OS. In addition, thousands of Flash-based web applications and sites will become available for the MOTOROLA XOOM.

As a part of the company’s commitment and leadership — along with Google’s — to the Android ecosystem, Motorola announced a series of global developer events in 11 cities across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. These MOTODEV events give developers access to tools, support and Motorola’s team of Android experts. The first of these events was hosted in San Francisco on March 1 and had more than 665 developers in attendance.

MOTODEV also recently announced a new testing and certification program for Honeycomb applications, encouraging developers to submit their applications to get early feedback and support on MOTOROLA XOOM performance. This is a part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting the ecosystem in delivering high quality experiences to the consumer.

More information about MOTODEV tools, resources and events can be found at http://developer.motorola.com.

About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Android, Google, Google Mobile and Google Maps are trademarks of Google Inc. All other product and service names are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc.

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