NVIDIA announced a partnership with Google and the Open Handset Alliance for the development of Android with the Tegra series of ‘computer-on-a-chip’ processors. The company expects its support for Android to offer manufacturers and operators an easy way to use its Tegra processor on future mobile phones that would be able to leverage the user experience while delivering services like mobile mash-ups or location-based applications.

As many of you might already know, the NVIDIA Tegra family of computers-on-a-chip has been designed to fit into Windows Mobile devices, yet the company expects the Android platform to out-sale Microsoft's operating system by 2012.

“We welcome NVIDIA’s support of Android on Tegra and we look forward to many more Android-based devices that deliver an outstanding consumer experience,” said Andy Rubin, Google’s senior director of mobile platforms.

The Tegra platform includes an NVIDIA Tegra 600 Series computer-on-a-chip as well as a complete software solution that would allow OEMs to develop new always-on, always-connected HD MIDs, including netbooks. The platform's feature list includes 720p and 1080p video playback, days of usage on a single charge, hardware support for Web 2.0 applications, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, as well as a software pack that includes Microsoft Windows CE OS, application viewers, full Internet browser, UI framework, board support package (BSP), software development kit (SDK), Web mail client, and more.

“NVIDIA and Google are both working to unlock the visual computing potential of mobile devices and this announcement matches the power of Tegra with the innovation of the Android platform,” stated Michael Rayfield, general manager, mobile business unit at NVIDIA.

NVIDIA’s Tegra is the mobile solution for the Android applications that are graphics power hungry. The NVIDIA Tegra for Android (APX 2600) is expected to become available for OEM manufacturers in the second quarter of the year.