14 DAY TRIAL // Nvidia is well known for its mobile chipsets and more recently for its Android gaming console the SHIELD, which hasn’t been that popular due to various reasons, including price.
However, the company is mostly recognized for its experience on the graphics cards market.
Android smartphone users who have purchased Nvidia-powered devices aren’t probably too happy about their investments due to the fact that they rarely receive major software updates.
The most recent examples are the HTC One X and One X+, which won’t be getting a major update because Nvidia did not send the necessary drivers for its chipset to HTC.
Both smartphones are packed with Nvidia Tegra 3, which is why the Taiwanese company has announced that it won’t be offering the long-awaited Android 4.4 KitKat update for these particular devices.
Nevertheless, that won’t stop Nvidia from bringing new mobile chipsets to the market, which may or may not be included in future smartphone models.
The Wiko WAX is a reference device that comes equipped with Nvidia’s latest Tegra 4i chipset that (finally) supports LTE connectivity. Nvidia has also confirmed that its chipset features a 60-core graphics processing unit, along with a quad-core CPU and fifth battery saver core.
We had the chance to take the Wiko WAX for a spin at MWC 2014 and we must say the device is pretty impressive for a prototype.
At first glance, the handset slightly resembles the Nexus 4, but the texture on the back is of matte black. That offers a much better grip on the phone and makes it less prone to fingerprints and grease.
The smartphone was quite snappy when browsing between menus, but that’s understandable given the enhanced Nvidia Tegra 4i chipset inside.
Other highlights of the smartphone that have already been confirmed by Nvidia include: 4.7-inch HD (720p) capacitive touchscreen display, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and HSPA+ support.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Wiko WAX is manufactured by a French company, thus it will be released in France in April.
According to Nvidia, the reference device will also be launched in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the UK, around the same timeframe.
