Netflix certified more Android devices for its software, adding support for a number of handsets and tablets powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor. That brings the total number of Netflix-capable smartphones and tablets up to 22. Good, because consumers don’t care whose chip powers their device.
Qualcomm announced plans for the 2011 next-generation Snapdragon processor, making this year’s chips look stale. The new Snapdragon promises five-times-greater performance, a fourfold boost in graphics and multi-mode support for both 3G and LTE networks, all with a 75 percent reduction in power use.
An HTC smartphone with multiple cores is reportedly in the works, based on results found from a benchmark testing website. A powerful chip — likely from Qualcomm — would be welcome in smartphones, but might be better suited to Android tablets compete against Apple’s iPad.
The twin assault of powerful mobile chips such as Qualcomm’s new dual core Snapdragons and Google’s Android OS along with the looming spectre of tablets, growing demand for smartphones (and slow shift away from PCs), the decades-old Wintel duopoly is facing its worst crisis.
Sony Ericsson today announced its Xperia X10 smartphone, based on Android, which features a customized software layer called UX built on top of the open-source operating system. It’s the first of a family of smartphones that the company plans to deliver in the first half of next year, and won’t be available until then. While it has some high-end features that could help it compete with the much-hyped Droid, unlike Motorola’s and Verizon’s (s vz) handset, this phone has a surprising shortcoming. Read More about Sony Ericsson’s New Android Phone Is Sleek, But Has a Hole
Android (s goog) news is getting hotter every week, as the platform becomes poised to take off. This is due to new handsets being released now through the end of the year. And the ability to search across a phone’s content and the web for that desired nugget of information is a highly desirable feature for consumers. The latest version of Android addresses that craving by adding a universal Quick Search Box widget that facilitates searching across Apps, Contacts, Browser and Music. The widget can be put on the home screen, making universal search just a tap away. Read More about Android This Week: Quick Search Box, Liquid With Snapdragon Debut
