The new HTC One X+ takes the HTC One X to the next level, with a larger battery and higher-performance Tegra 3 processor packed into the same 8.9mm thin body. And there’s also a version for LTE fans as well.

It boasts a supercharged version of the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, which features the high-performance, 4-PLUS-1 quad-core architecture and unique 5^th battery-saver core. On the Android side of the equation, the HTC One X+ will ship with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and debuts HTC’s new Sense 4+ skin. The AT&T HTC One X+ will be the first Tegra 3 LTE smartphone for the US.

So how does the HTC One X+ one-up the competition? It’s all about the internals.

The new Tegra 3 silicon cranks up the dial marked “performance” with a 1.7 GHz CPU and faster graphics. Onboard storage gets bumped up to 64GB and battery capacity increases to 2100 mAh. And both the 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera make use of the dedicated HTC ImageChip for crisp, accurate photos.

All this translates into an HTC One X+ that is 67% faster than the HTC One X LTE, while giving up to 50% (6 hours) more talk time. In the hand, you’ll notice faster multitasking, faster webpage load times and a snappier user experience that lasts as long as your workday. But don’t worry, the One X+ will deliver the same great visual experience and console- quality gaming through optimized TegraZone games.

We’ll talk more about the HTC One X+ in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Mike, who helps run our mobile business, discussed the evolution of the PC at an industry event yesterday in Seattle hosted by HTC. He also explained how mobile graphics technology is gaining on the performance level of console graphics.

While he was at it, he wowed the audience with a few surprises on the new Tegra 3 powered HTC One X smartphone.

The histories of HTC and NVIDIA are rooted in the PC industry. HTC (formerly High Tech Computer) originally built notebook computers. NVIDIA, of course, is well known for designing graphics that power desktops, workstations and notebooks. While over time both companies added a focus on mobile computing, the definition of what makes something a PC has also evolved.

Several years ago, a PC meant a display that measured 11 inches or more diagonally, a physical keyboard and possibly a network connection. With the advent of mobile devices and smartphones, the idea of a PC has largely been redefined. It is now considered to be anything with a display of at least four inches, with a touchscreen that supplements (or replaces) a physical keyboard and is always connected and “on.”

This evolution requires significant innovation. For example, NVIDIA has invested heavily in extending battery life. Our Tegra 3’s 4-PLUS-1 architecture, PRISM display technology and DirectTouch touch architecture are all SoC and system-level innovations that improve the mobile experience while extending battery life.

Another big focus of the industry has been to advance the state of mobile graphics. Since the introduction of the smartphone, mobile graphics technology has advanced considerably – and it is expected to close the performance gap with console graphics in the next few years, as shown in the chart below.

Near the end of his talk, Mike was joined by Phosphor Games Studios’ Chip Sineni and Brett Seyler, of Kerosene Games, to provide a sneak peek at new unreleased mobile games optimized for Tegra 3 – Dark Meadow: The Pact and Bounty Arms THD. Both games show off the horsepower from Tegra 3’s quad-core CPU and GeForce GPU, with stunning effects and console-quality graphics.

Dark Meadow: The Pact by Phosphor Games offers a haunting experience and a visual upgrade for Tegra 3 devices compared to the current version on iOS.

The game features high-resolution textures and atmospheric real-time lighting effects. It maximizes Unreal Engine 3 to deliver a stunning first-person action/adventure game, where players fight to escape a dark fairytale world filled with fantastical creatures bent on destroying them.

Bounty Arms THD features bounty hunters on mercenary missions. It includes a colorful mix of characters, humor, classic brawler mechanics and platform exploration with RPG-style leveling of armor and weaponry. The game features full dynamic lighting, lots of mobile-optimized shaders, particle effects, animation blending and enemy attack waves boosted by Tegra 3. From Open-Reset and Luma Arcade, Bounty Arms THD will be published by Kerosene Games.

The games are coming soon to Google Play and will be featured on the free NVIDIA TegraZone app, which showcases the best games optimized for Tegra.

With acres of plastic sheeting still on the floors of the Fira de Barcelona Conference Center, ground zero for MWC, the world’s 5th largest phone maker used the event to launch its HTC One X phone. The sleek offering, HTC’s first with NVIDIA, is powered by the Tegra 3 mobile processor, the world’s only 4-PLUS-1 quad-core processor with a fifth battery saver core.

The packed press conference, with more than 500 attendees in a coliseum-size mall opposite Fira, kicked off at 9pm – not so odd in a city where dinner often doesn’t start until 10pm. It featured HTC’s CEO Peter Chou, who described the One X, which features Android Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.5GHz Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM, 4.7-inch SuperLCD 2 screen with 1280×720 resolution and Gorilla Glass, 32GB inbuilt storage and an 8-megapixel camera, as a whole new way to record the world around us.

“You each have your own memory, interests and relationships that define who you are,” Chou said, speaking under a dome amid a multi-colored light show set to music. “These memories are key to who we are and how we chronicle our lives.”

He said the phone’s camera has a boot-up times of just 0.7 seconds and auto focuses in a mere 0.2 seconds, faster than the blink of an eye. Its image sensor is equipped with larger pixels, which allows it to collect more light, with the camera’s flash automatically adjusting to the distance of the subject.

The HTC One series, including the One X with Tegra 3, will be available, come April, through some 144 phone operators virtually worldwide.

We go hands-on with the HTC One X in the video below: