OMAP 5 Android Development Platform Hands-On

This week we've gotten the opportunity to see in a very basic way how powerful the next generation of Texas Instruments device processors will be. Graphics are the name of the game here, Texas Instruments' Curt Moore showing off how an OMAP 5-toting developer platform tablet works with Android – which, incidentally, is running a bit of software called SBP Shell 3D (see our hands-on with the Viewsonic Viewphone 4S smartphone to see more SPB action). This software displays an array of homescreens all at once, allowing you access to each as they spin on a carousel: prime real-estate for showing off graphics power on OMAP 5 architecture.

What this device is doing is showing off a mirrored display via HDMI cable at 1080p with 60fps (while video is playing). Moore also shows us several benchmarks being run on Texas Instruments development platforms around the demo room, these including GLBenchmark 2.5 and a browser benchmark that runs through several webpages at high speed. Finally you'll see The Avengers clips being played at 1080p and 60fps on an HDTV from another developer device.

All of this continues our excitement for the future of Texas Instruments in the smartphones and tablets of the very near future. Expect OMAP 5 devices to be on the market by the end of the year – until then, have a peek at the timeline below to see OMAP 5 stories ranging all the way back to Mobile World Congress 2012 where we got our first detailed look at the processor architecture.