ZTE Mimosa X unveiled as first “Nvidia smartphone”

Powered by an Nvidia chipset as well as an Nvidia modem, the Mimosa X is the graphics unit giant’s first entry into delivering all the major components for a smartphone

February 21, 2012 Mihir Patkar

Nvidia’s PC graphics unit may not be doing as well, but the company’s new focus on mobile makes it a contender to watch out for. The company has just released the first smartphone to be powered both by its Tegra processor and its Icera modem, making it the first device to have all major parts coming from Nvidia.

“The ZTE Mimosa X marks the first time Nvidia technology powers all the major processors in a single smartphone,” said Michael Rayfield, General Manager of the Mobile business at NVIDIA.

The Mimosa X is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor, featuring a dual-core CPU and GeForce GPU, and the NVIDIA Icera 450 HSPA+ modem, comprising baseband and RF processors, featuring excellent throughput and low power. It will run Google Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, feature a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, and 4GB of storage expandable to 32GB. And yes, the inclusion of Tegra processor means that it will be able to access TegraZone games, previously only available for high-end smartphones.

The fact that the smartphone’s two major processor units are powered by the same company would help manufacturers cut costs, passing on the benefits to the consumer. Basically, high-end smartphones might be getting cheaper!

The Mimosa X will be launched around Q2 2012, positioned squarely for the mainstream market.