ZTE Corp. and Nvidia Corp. on Thursday said they had partnered to deliver the first super phones based on Tegra 4 application processor and Icera i500 4G/LTE software modem. ZTE aims to become the first manufacturer to release Tegra 4-based handset ahead all of its rivals already in the first half of 2013.

“This is a clear demonstration of ZTE’s ability to quickly develop, and bring to market, market-leading devices running the industry’s latest technologies. We are proud to continue our pioneering partnership with NVIDIA and are looking forward to offering more Tegra-powered devices, which are defining a new generation of phones offering premium mobile computing experiences,” said Mr. He Shiyou, executive vice president of ZTE.

The Nvidia Tegra 4 will enable the ZTE devices to deliver ultra-fast web browsing, improved app load times, more realistic gaming experiences and great battery life – thanks to the processor’s quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 general-purpose processor as well as ultra-low-power GeForce graphics core with 72 stream processors. Nvidia Icera i500 4G/LTE software modem will enable global broadband support.

These new devices build on ZTE and Nvidia’s partnership with previous smartphones such as the Grand X, the first smartphone powered by both the Tegra processor and Nvidia’s Icera modem; the Grand Era super phone with Tegra 3; and the U950, the first premium quad-core smartphone with Tegra 3 priced below $160.

"ZTE's newest super phones will show off Tegra 4's processing power, efficiency and unprecedented capabilities,” said Phil Carmack, Senior Vice President of the Mobile business at Nvidia. “They’re a great example of what the market expects from one of the world's largest phone makers."

Tags: Nvidia, Tegra, Icera, ZTE, 4G/LTE, ARM, Cortex, Geforce