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Toshiba launches 1GHz smartphone
Author: Gareth HalfacreePublished: 5th February 2009
The Toshiba TG01 is the first smartphone to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform - a processor running at 1GHz.
As reported over on CNet, the company has become the first to launch hardware based on the Snapdragon platform from communication chip specialist Qualcomm. Dubbed the TG01 and running Windows Mobile, the device features a 4.1” 800x480 resistive touch screen, support for 3G and WiFi connections, and in-built GPS with A-GPS support it's a fairly standard smartphone at first glance, albeit one with a particularly high resolution display.
It's once you start to look beyond the obvious that you realise the potential behind the Snapdragon platform. For starters, the device is a mere 9.9mm thick – which is no mean feat, when you compare it to Apple's iPhone at a rather chunkier 11.6mm. The real star of the show, however, is the silicon.
The Snapdragon platform on this particular handset is running a RISC-based processor at an impressive 1GHz – which makes it powerful enough to decode and play 720p HD video, render 3D graphics at a rate of up to 22M triangles per second, run displays at up to XGA resolutions, and easily chuck around graphics from a 12 megapixel camera. This isn't your average smartphone chip, that's for sure.
Qualcomm isn't content with the current performance, either: the current QSD8250 chipset, as used in the TG01, will eventually be replaced by the QSD8672 – a dual-core version running at 1.5GHz with full 1080p HD video support and in-built ATI graphics processing. To put it into perspective, that's several times the power of my original-model Eee PC. In a smartphone.
If you're not too keen on the styling of Toshiba's offering, but still want to get your hands on some Qualcomm Snapdragon goodness, fear not: both Acer and Asus are also currently working on handsets based on the platform, but have been pipped to the post in this instance. So far, neither company has issued a timescale for release – but Toshiba is hoping to have the TG01 out in Europe some time this summer, at an unknown pricing level.
Tempted to get a 1GHz smartphone, or are you waiting for the 1.5GHz dual-core version so you can fold on the go? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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Want!
Too bad about the resistive touchscreen though :(
Looks pretty nice, with hp too. If the battery lasts a resonable amount of time then I'll have one :)
Might just be the answer for me I have been struggling between gettiing an ultraportable with 3g card and a 3g pda smartphone for some time!
Why are people complaining about a resistive touchscreen? IMO they are by far the better, you can use a stylus, things don't have to be supersized, you can use it with gloves on etc.
As far as I see it, the main advantages of a capacitative touch screen are multitouch (and you can get most of the useful features using something like the Touch Diamond's capacitative panel at the bottom for zooming, or the X1's optical joystick) and not answering the phone accidentally in your pocket.
Still, be interesting to see how much this costs, looking for a smart phone myself in April, who knows
Resistive touchscreens are mushy, inaccurate and unresponsive, for one (or three).
when i look at what i use my phone for, texting and calling, i hardly understand why its got a colour screen. lol! Camera are always poor in my view as i usually have a compact digi or or my SLR on me.
In principle I can see where you are coming from with the inaccurate and unresponsive but for someone with reasonably sized fingers, I can't hit anything accurately on a screen, which is where the stylus helps. I find that a lot of the time, the screen on the iPhone/iPod touch doesn't respond to my finger presses, whether that is because I have dry hand or not I don't know, and because you can't use a stylus on a capacitative screen you can't have any form of handwriting recognition.
As far as mushy is concerned, the screen on my 6 year old Dell Axim does move a reasonable amount but my Touch Diamond hardly moves at all and it certainly not mushy.
OverKILL!!!
Why carry a camera around, you have eyes and a brain!
Some people use their phones for more than you do, and some people want to take crappy pictures.
Each to their own dude!
@Cupboard - You can get stylus' for capacitive screens - Example
I'm assuming it would have a video-out. (Most phones do these days for picture display etc.).
WANT. Although would prefer capacitive screen!