Nvdia will debut its newest processor: the quad-core Tegra 3 in ASUS' Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet. The tablet is to be first Android device with the latest quad core processor which promises five times the overall performance of the Tegra 2 processor. Nvidia has said that the chip will be replacing previous chips in tablet devices and now there are also reports that the new chip will be coming to mobile phones as well. HTC is said to be making the first smartphone with a quad-core processor in its upcoming HTC Edge. The new Tegra 3 processor will be better than the Tegra 2 processor that most smartphones use today but should this mean that device manufacturers and developers should jump to the quad-core bandwagon?

To answer this let's take a quick look at how dual core processor actually work. For most consumers the more processors a computer, tablet or smartphone has the better. Speaking from a technical standpoint that's true more processors would mean more power but right now that isn't the case with smartphones. Both iOS and Android relegate tasks in their software to take advantage of a two processor set-up. And there is no need to go above a two-core set-up because there are very few processes that needs more than two cores. Apps are small and don't take up enough processor power.

Battery life should also be a concern for anyone who wants to get quad-core processors in their smartphones. The iPhone 4S has been beset by battery life problems lately. Will four cores actually make battery life last longer? Nvidia's Tegra 3 uses Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP) which actually adds another core called the companion core that runs at 500 MHz. This companion core will be used for handling the lower processing needs like viewing low graphics websites. When the user switches to higher graphics websites or playing games, the other processors kick in to handle the heavier load. According to Nvidia this will add more than 61 percent to battery savings but this has yet to be tested in real life scenarios.

A quad-core processor will undoubtedly have a bigger impact in gaming for mobile phones. Nvidia is one of the leading graphic cards producers for PCs so the latest mobile chip will boost those graphics in 3D games. For tablets and mobile phone games, the Tegra 3 will make it easier to match the graphics in consoles and PCs but again this is just one sector of the mobile market. Will ordinary users who don't really use their smartphones or tablets for gaming benefit from the added horsepower? Currently not really.

Most smartphones are working just fine with dual-core processors. Yes, a quad core processor will mean better graphics but unless there is a marked improvement in battery life or there is more apps that will take advantage of this new technology, a quad-core processor will just be a waste of money.