Nvidia APX 2500: Could this be Microsoft's saving grace?

It might not be much to look at but this tiny chip could revolutionise Microsoft's mobile business and turn Windows Mobile into one of the most compelling user interfaces on the planet. The APX 2500 chip, developed by Nvidia for use in Windows Mobile devices, could potentially turn future HTC phones into multimedia beasts.

If you're wondering how something the size of a penny can have so much effect, then have a gander at what it can do. The APX 2500 allows portable devices to decode video at up to 720p on your TV, run several applications all at the same time and enable 3D games such as Quake -- Snake,eat your heart out.

Of course, power could be an issue with something this dynamic, particularly on a mobile device that doesn't have a large battery. Nvidia claims that users will get up to 10 hours of video playback and 100 hours of music playback from a single charge. We're impressed but we'll believe it when we see it running on a large screened, high-end handset.

Click on the next page for pictures of what this ickle chip is truly capable of. -Andrew Lim

This is a prototype PMP running a concept interface that Nvidia was showing off to the crowds at the Mobile World Congress. Here, we see film covers lined up in a similar way to Apple's Cover Flow system. We were impressed that we could see several at the same time without any noticeable lag.

This is a shot of a film being played via the PMP on an HD TV. What really blew us away was the speed at which the processor could handle requests and how you could be watching a film on your mobile phone or PMP one second and then almost instantly be playing a game the next. This technology is definitely worth keeping an eye on because if the Windows Mobile team get it right, we could see a user experience that beats the iPhone's.