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MWC 2011: Series 6 PowerVR GPUs '20-100x faster than today's models', phones to equal modern desktop performance by 2014

Chips rivalling NGP to be in mobile devices 'within three months'

MWC 2011: Series 6 PowerVR GPUs '20-100x faster than today's models', phones to equal modern desktop performance by 2014
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You may not have heard of Imagination Technologies before, but the chances are you're using a smartphone with its designs inside.

From the iPhone 4 and iPad to the Galaxy S and Sony NGP, the PowerVR GPU has become synonymous with mobile graphics over the past decade, helping to push more polygons onto the smaller screen than any other competing format.

The company revealed to Pocket Gamer today that it has developed a new series of GPUs for use in mobile devices that, thanks to a set of undisclosed innovations in the field, offers up a speed increase over today's quad-core models by around “20-100 times the power”, yet consumes barely a milliwatt per Mhz to run.

The Series 6 PowerVR chips (codenamed 'Rogue') are expected to equal today's desktop PC processors – and by extension exceed today's HD consoles – within three years. Already a number of manufacturers (possibly including long-term partner Texas Instruments) have licensed the device for usage.

Those looking enviously at the Sony NGP and its quad-core GPU won't have to wait that long to see such performance in a smartphone, as it was also revealed that we should see similar PowerVR chips appearing in certain manufacturers' devices "within three months".

According to David Harold, director of PR at the British firm, it was gaming that was once again driving this incredible development of technological performance.

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).