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Newly leaked Nvidia roadmap hints at two new chips and Windows Phone compatibility

Not on the Wayne

Newly leaked Nvidia roadmap hints at two new chips and Windows Phone compatibility
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Nvidia seems to make a habit of leaking slides from upcoming presentations detailing vague roadmaps for new chips, and the company doesn’t seem to want to relinquish that reputation any time soon.

This latest leak apparently shows the plans up to 2013 for the company’s mobile strategy, with the previously revealed Kal-El chipset down for the end of 2011 and a Kal-El+ pencilled in for mid-2012. There are no technical details regarding the two of them, but they are expected to be quad-core configurations.

The next two chips look the most interesting, though, since they represent a break from tradition for the American firm. One chip, called - embarrassingly - ‘Wayne’, appears to cover the side of the graph called ‘clamshells’.

This would suggest it's a feature phone-designed chip, which if true represents a departure from the norm for Nvidia, since the company has been hitherto exclusively concerned with development for high-end devices.

Grey matter

Secondly, there’s ‘Grey’, which is a chipset due in 2013 and is designed for smartphone and tablets - most likely the spiritual successor to the Kal-El chips. Of course, no details have been revealed about this one, and we half suspect Nvidia has merely the name down at this point, given it’s four revisions away.

One additional thing to note: Windows Phone is also mentioned on the slide, a format that has so far been exclusively Qualcomm’s domain, thanks to Microsoft laying down anti-fragmentation rules on its phone manufacturers.

Could this be a sign that a Microsoft-Nvidia deal is in the works? Or is it a sign that the slide itself is a big ol’ fake? We’ll no doubt discover more come the start of next year.

Heise.de [via Android and Me]
Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).