AMD today announced a suite of tools to help content creators jumpstart the development of applications for handheld devices based on OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 industry standards and Unified Shader Architecture. AMD’s upcoming graphics technologies will be made available to handset manufacturers through discrete media processors as well as through IP licensing agreements with semiconductor suppliers.

“AMD is working closely with OEMs and semiconductor suppliers to bring to market an incredibly powerful handheld gaming platform equipped with AMD’s innovative, open-standard technology,” said Paul Dal Santo, vice president and general manager of AMD’s Handheld Division. “At the same time, we are driving the creation of truly compelling content for the next-generation mobile gaming devices that consumers demand. This industry-wide effort will help ensure a robust handheld gaming ecosystem.”

These technologies will include support for both the OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standards, and will incorporate a similar Unified Shader Architecture found in the Xbox 360, said the company. AMD’s suite of tools includes RenderMonkey 1.7, which adds support for mobile content development including full OpenGL ES 2.0 shader support.

AMD’s next-generation mobile graphics architecture will feature native hardware acceleration for rendering vector graphics and flash-like applications. This architectural design hopes to deliver high-quality graphics, while consuming less power than either software rendering or rendering using a traditional 3D graphics core.

AMD expects that a billion handheld devices will be sold this year, and that mobile devices have the potential to be the next major gaming platform worldwide. AMD is working with content developers now in preparation for the arrival of phones powered by its next-generation Imageon expected next year.