The company that provides GPUs to Apple’s iPhones now wants to shake up the Android landscape by bringing high-quality VR experiences to low-end phones.
GPUs from Imagination Technologies are used in both iPhones and Android handsets. The company’s latest PowerVR Series8XE Plus GPU will be installed in Android handsets priced between $200 and $400.
The use of virtual reality in Android devices is growing fast. But most VR-capable phones, like the ones supporting Google’s DayDream platform, are expensive because of powerful GPUs and high-resolution screens. Cheap VR headsets like Google Cardboard can be used with inexpensive phones, but the experience is uneven.
The Series8XE Plus will bring better graphics to low-end phones. It can handle full HD video at 60 frames per second, a frame rate required for a good VR experience on mobile devices.
The GPU will appear in Android smartphones starting next year. The graphics processor won’t be installed in the iPhone, which instead uses Imagination’s high-end PowerVR XT GPU.
