NVIDIA Tegra phone due from a big five firm

 A major smartphone manufacturer is due to launch a phone based on NVIDIA's Tegra platform, the company has let slip in interviews. One of the "top five" smartphone producers should have a phone based on the advanced graphics technology before the end of the year. The company has also said in a discussion with CrunchGear that it should reach AT&T and T-Mobile for about $199.

Details of the phone in question are vague, though it would likely involve an APX 2500 or 2600 chipset that could provide significantly accelerated 3D and decode 720p video, including off the device if it includes an HDMI port. NVIDIA officially favors Android and Windows Mobile for phones but has so far only demonstrated Windows Mobile in public. Microsoft's Zune HD uses a Tegra part but has no phone features and should use a custom version of Windows CE.

The addition will give the unnamed company a visual advantage compared to most smartphones; to date, only very high-end phones like the Samsung i8910 have been capable of 720p and aren't available in the US. The iPhone 3GS has much more advanced 3D than most phones but doesn't play 720p.