Sprint Unveils the Motorola Photon 4G, Promises Gaming Console Graphics but no Launch Date (video)

In partnership with Sprint, Motorola today unveiled the Photon 4G, a Tegra powered Android smartphone.  This power house of device is said to deliver video game cosole graphics in a hand held form factor thanks to the embedded 1Ghz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2-powered chip.

The feature set includes a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 resolution), metal kickstand, HDMI out, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 16GB of storage (expandable) and 4G connectivity.

Die hard gamers will be able to connect the Photon 4G to their favorite HDTV using an HDMI cord and utilizing a Bluetooth compatible controller play games as if it were a stand alone video game console.

The Photon 4G will ship with Android 2.3 and hit Sprint sometime this summer (no price or launch date was announced).

Sprint’s Photon 4G Joins Tegra Super Phone Family
By Will Park

Today, Motorola and Sprint introduced the Photon 4G, as the first Tegra-powered super phone on Sprint’s 4G network. This big-screened multimedia monster boasts a 4.3 qHD high-resolution (960×540) multitouch display, metal kickstand, HDMI-output support, an impressive 1 GB of RAM and Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS.

The Photon 4G takes mobile computing and entertainment to another level. Sure, you can surf the web, check email and even stream HD video from YouTube and any video-streaming websites using Adobe’s Flash technology. But, it’s the Sprint Photon 4G’s ability to play optimized, console-quality games from Tegra Zone (which you can find in the Sprint Zone) that makes this Tegra 2-powered handset a veritable gaming console in your pocket.

Thanks to the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor and GeForce GPU, the Photon 4G is capable of running multi-platform, console-class Android OS games with the kind of experience you expect from a game console. You can play games on the handset itself, or use HDMI-out to play the game on a big-screen TV. But, it doesn’t end there.

The Photon 4G supports Bluetooth game controllers that allow you to play Tegra Zone games, like Riptide GP, with the tactile feedback that only gaming controllers can deliver.

At work (hopefully on your lunch break), simply prop the phone against integrated kickstand, kick up your feet and play games on the high-res qHD display. How about at home? Well, you can turn the Photon 4G into a gaming console. With HDMI-out and a Bluetooth controller (like the Wii game controller), you can get your game on with Riptide GP on your HDTV. It’s all about options, and the Photon 4G offers them in spades.

A quick recap of the Photon 4G:
· The first Tegra-powered super phone on Sprint’s 4G network
· 3G and 4G capable, international GSM capabilities
4.3” qHD (960×540) high-resolution screen
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
8 MP auto-focus, rear-facing camera with dual LED flash and front-facing camera for video chat
· HD video capture and playback
· HD video, web browsing and gaming via HDMI out to your HDTV
1GB RAM
3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability
Bluetooth controller support
· Ability to utilize the webtop application while connected to an accessory dock to open, view, edit and send Microsoft Office documents using cloud-based web apps through the full Mozilla Firefox browser
· Access to more than 200,000 useful applications, widgets and games on Android Market