We’ve know for quite some time now about Qualcomm’s dual-core CPUs, but we’ve never had any sort of exact date on when they would start shipping. Word coming straight from the mouth of Qualcomm is that their third generation MSM8260 and MSM8660 (w/ CDMA support) chips have been shipped to at least one partner already, with speculation being HTC. This would line up perfectly with the rumor going around right now that HTC is developing a dual-core (800mhz, most likely underclocked) phone for T-Mobile under the name Vision. So what are these new chips capable of?

Scorpion 1.2 GHz processor and 600 MHz DSP for high levels of web application and multimedia performance
Support for innovative 3D/2D user interfaces and console-quality gaming via dedicated, high-performance graphics engines
16 megapixel camera
Full 1080p HD video playback and recording
Support for DTS/Dolby 5.1 surround sound
Integrated Assisted-GPS, including support for Glonass satellite services
Support for stunning 24-bit WXGA (1280 x 800) displays
45nm process technology for ultra-low power consumption

As you can see, quite the impressive list. I wouldn’t bet the farm on it, but be on the lookout for devices featuring these chips to ship by this fall. Just in time for Christmas.

Via Android and Me

I think it’s safe to say that a month is the official length of time Android phones can stay as alpha dogs. We’re still enjoying all the goodness the newly released Nexus One has. However, Moore’s Law doesn’t wait for anybody. This is even clearer in the Android ecosystem, which every month has a new phone that makes the rest look like calculators. Without further ado, I give you the HTC Scorpion (or Olympian): the phone we’ll be dreaming about for the next six months. The guys over at AndroidSPIN have come across a leaked build file; a little digging reveals the following details:

• 1.5 GHz CPU (Yowza!!)
• WiMAX
• Android 2.2 (Froyo)

The Nexus One looks so last month now doesn’t it? None of this is in any way confirmed, and could very well be fake, but since when does that keep Android fanatics from daydreaming about new phones. By the way, kudos to HTC for pumping out awesome Android phones faster than we can digest them. We’ll keep our sights fixed on anything even remotely related to a scorpion and will report on it as fast as our keyboards tolerate.

Via AndroidSPIN

The guys over at PocketNow have spent some quality time with the HTC Incredible, and managed to get us some photos, a video by Mr. ShakyCam and some details. It’s packing a Snapdragon CPU, Android 2.1 goodness with Sense UI, 256MB of RAM, optical mouse pointer, and dual LED flash. The screen is somewhere between 3.6 and 3.7 inches, with WVGA resolution and AMOLED. Sounds like winner to me, althought some Hero users are going to be pissed if this comes with 2.1 and they’re still stuck on 1.5.

Video after the jump:

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Are you less than excited about LG’s GW620 (pictured below)? If so, is it because it’s headed to Canada, or because it seems too cuddly to be powerful? I think the phone looks like a cute social and messaging device but I don’t expect it to be a multi-tasking beast, despite the use of monsters in the Eve’s commercials. I could be wrong of course. We don’t know all that much about what’s under the GW620’s hood. (cont.)

What we do know – according to Slash Gear – is that LG is currently working on their own Snapdragon device for a Q2 2010 launch in Korea, with a possibility of branching into other markets. Their isn’t much info beyond that, except that this unnamed phone will be “more mature” than Eve. With another device joining the 1 GHz ranks of Liquid and the X10, it looks like an extremely promising year for Android overseas. When will we Americans get a dragon to drool over, HTC?

Via Engadget

An anonymous tipster with great connections has hinted that HTC’s monster in the closet, the Snapdragon-packing beast now known as Passion, is a GSM handset. Now some of you may have suspected this already as DroidDog readers discussed it in the comments of that first big photo leak post. PhoneDog and Mobile Crunch have basically affirmed those suspicions now. My tipster spoke up before the PD and MC posts went up, so this is starting to look pretty good. But wait… there’s more.

The rumors of a launch before January first? Confirmed. Yes! Great! What else? It’s probably not headed to AT&T or T-Mobile. Huh? Will HTC be selling a 1 GHz beast direct and unlocked in the States? The photo below shows a phone connected to US 3G (see Noah’s post, linked above, for details on the different icons as well as these BGR snaps of 2.0 – new notification icons included – that are causing confusion on this front). If the image below is what people are saying it is, then Passion is definitely a US product. So where does that leave us? Maybe on a wild goose chase of rumor and speculation, but possibly with clues of something completely different. I doubt HTC would finance, which means I couldn’t buy this one direct. But I wouldn’t be surprized if they wanted to do something big for their first American Snapdragon. What that could be is anybody’s guess.