Nvidia Corp. recently provided an update on the execution of Tegra roadmap. The company will tape out its code-named Grey system-on-chip with integrated 3G and 4G/LTE communication technologies this quarter. Besides, the company is working on code-named Wayne next-gen application processor, which it hopes will help it to gain market share next year.

“We have a next-generation application processor integrated with a next-generation 4G/LTE. This quarter, we hope to tape out and race it to market. […] It is obviously a very, very large market opportunity for us, and so we are very bullish about it,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, during the most recent conference call with financial analysts.

With tape-out this quarter, which ends in late January, 2013, Nvidia Tegra “Grey” system-on-chip with built-in 3G and 4G/LTE communication technologies will likely reach the market in early 2013, just like Nvidia once promised. Considering the fact that it takes a long time for smartphone makers to integrate new SoCs into their designs, end-users should probably expect one or two handsets with Tegra “Grey” in calendar Q1 and Q2 2013 and more smartphones with the novelty inside going forward. Nvidia expects many makers of handsets to adopt Tegra “Grey” system-on-chip.

“That [Tegra ‘Grey’] is really the product that in about a year's time frame will really matter to get us into a larger part of the smartphone market,” added Mr. Huang.

Besides highly-integrated system-on-chip, Nvidia is working on high-end Tegra application processor code-named Wayne, which should emerge inside superphones and tablets sometimes in 2013. Wayne is projected to feature ARM Cortex-A15 general-purpose core as well as new GeForce-class graphics processor, hence, provide new levels of performance.

“In the meantime, we are also ramping into the marketplace our next-generation application processor. So, we are looking forward to a new generation of superphones that it will be in,” said the head of Nvidia.

It is interesting to note that while Nvidia Tegra 3 has multiple design wins with Windows RT-based devices, Nvidia’s application processors are still not supported by Windows Phone 8 operating system. It remains to be seen whether Tegra “Wayne” and “Grey” will gain compatibility with Windows Phone platform next year.

Tags: Nvidia, Tegra, Wayne, Grey, 4G/LTE, ARM, Cortex, Icera, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, LTE