Handset maker ZTE and multimedia chip designer Nvidia Corp. have formally introduced the world's first smartphone based on silicon exclusive from Nvidia. The ZTE Mimosa X smartphone due to become available in Q2 2012 is based on two-years-old Nvidia Tegra 2 system-on-chip as well as Nvidia Icera 450 baseband modem.

"The ZTE Mimosa X is exciting for a few reasons. The Mimosa X marks the first time Nvidiatechnology powers all the major processors in a single smartphone, and also the first time a premium mobile computing experience is coming to the mainstream smartphone market," said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the mobile business at Nvidia.

ZTE Mimosa X is powered by the Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile system-on-chips with two Cortex-A9 general-purpose cores and a GeForce graphics core, as well as the Nvidia Icera 450 HSPA+ modem (supports up to 21Mbps category 14 HSPA+ with fast downloads in fading channels), comprising baseband and RF processors. The handset will run Google Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system, feature a 4.3" screen with 960*540 resolution, rear 5 MP and front cameras as well as 4GB of storage expandable to 32GB with a memory card.

Nvidia claims that ZTE Mimosa X will deliver rich multimedia capabilities, including advanced audio distribution profile (A2DP), Dolby sound, digital living network alliance (DLNA) compatibility for easy sharing of content, HD video record and play, dual microphones, and built-in gyroscope.

ZTE Mimosa X will be one of the world's first superphones with large screen and rich multimedia capabilities that will have a moderate cost. Nvidia hopes that such kind of phones will help the company to boost its share on the market of SoCs for handsets.

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

Tags: ZTE, Nvidia, Tegra, Icera, Android, Google