01/09, 4:43am
Lenovo has used CES to debut the K900, the first device to feature Intel’s first dual-core CPU for smartphones. The chip is the first from the forthcoming Clover Trail+ platform, the Atom Z2580 clocked at a speedy 2GHZ. As it is based on the same architecture as the 2GHz single-core Medfield processor powering the Motorola Razr i, the addition of the second core no more than doubles the performance of the new chip over its predecessor.
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09/24, 8:40am
Intel set for LTE mobile device support from late 2012
Intel has confirmed with TechCrunch that it is currently prepping a dual-core Medfield-class Atom processor for mobile devices including smartphones. The new chip will also support LTE where currently its only smartphone processor shipping in handsets is only 3G-capable. Some speculate that it has been the lack of LTE support that has seen ‘Intel Inside’ devices only shipping in Europe, China, Russia, India and South America to date, and not the U.S.
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08/29, 11:24am
New Medfield phone, Nokia models expected
September is shaping up to be a busy month for new product announcements, as Nokia has its Nokia World event on September 5, where Windows Phone 8 devices are expected to be debuted, while Motorola and Intel have an event of their own scheduled for September 18. The reveal at this event is expected to be an Intel Medfield-powered phone. The teaser invitation for the event reveals that it will be held at the Victoria House in London.
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04/19, 7:50am
Lava Xolo X900 goes on sale
Intel crossed a milestone Thursday and confirmed that its first shipping Intel-based phone would be the Lava Xolo X900. The phone is due both online and in Croma stores in Lava's native India on April 23, when it will cost 22,000 rupees ($422) off-contract. Despite early hopes, it will ship with Android 2.3 at first and get 4.0 relatively soon afterwards.
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04/17, 6:30pm
Intel hints first phone product closer
Intel CEO Paul Otellini during a call discussing his company's latest results revealed that the first phone with one of its company's processors would at last be shipping this week. The executive didn't name the specific phone, but it may be the Lenovo K800, which had originally been promised for May. Other candidates could include the Orange Santa Clara or its near-identical cousin, the Lava Xolo X900.
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04/11, 2:35pm
Intel to bring out 'many' Win 8 tablets in 2012
Intel China chairman Sean Maloney at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing on Wednesday said many Intel-based tablets with Windows 8 are coming before year's end. He went on to say the company is working with 10 Chinese and global hardware makers on such tablets, but didn't name them. The most likely candidate chip to power the tablets is the Atom Z2460, also dubbed Medfield internally.
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04/11, 8:30am
Lenovo K800 inbound, first Atom-powered mobile
Lenovo's Intel-powered K800 (hands-on) is expected to arrive in North America by the end of May, according to Intel's China Chairman, Sean Maloney. The K800 is the first smartphone to run Intel's 1.6GHz Atom Medfield processor, although it may launch with an x86-compatible variant of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), instead of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Google has developed an x86-compatible version of ICS, although it is not known whether it will arrive in time on the K800 for its US launch.
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03/09, 11:50am
Medfield phone places well in browser tests
Browser benchmark tests performed at CeBIT by Caschys Blog on a Medfield phone reveal strong performance. The handset, due out at carrier Orange in France this June as the Santa Clara, was tested using Rightware and Vellamo. In the former, which measures JavaScript and HTML rendering performance, it beat out the iPhone 4S' 87801 score, at 89180, while falling behind the Galaxy Nexus' top 98272 performance.
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02/27, 3:50pm
Intel-powered Lava Xolo X900 due in India soon
As expected, Intel and Indian phone maker Lava have debuted a new, Medfield-powered handset at MWC, the Xolo X900. It uses Intel's Medfield platform and gets a 1.6GHz Atom Z2460 chip. The screen is 4.03 inches in size and will have an HDMI port for HD video playback. There will also be an NFC radio onboard for wallet-less payments.
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02/26, 7:30pm
Orange Santa Clara first ever phone to pack Intel
Intel and Orange confirmed late rumors in the evening and previewed the Santa Clara, the first officially launching Intel-based phone. Built behind the scenes by Taiwan's Gigabyte, the phone we first saw at CES will run Intel's new 1.6GHz Medfield-based chip as well as Intel's 21Mbps HSPA 3G chipset from its recent acquisition target Infineon. While not a high-end phone, it should potentially outperform many others at a similar price.
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02/26, 4:45am
Phone expected as early as April
Intel has reportedly teamed with Lava to create a new series of smartphones based on Medfield-series Atom chips. The Indian handset maker is said to be preparing to introduce a new smartphone brand for the Medfield devices, rather than sticking with its own branding that is currently tied to feature phones and a single budget-priced Android handset.
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02/17, 3:30pm
Orange London marketing material slips
The Intel-based Android phone shown off at CES may have secretly been the prototype for a production phone. A survey taker showed a sample description to Coolsmartphone that implied the phone was the London, a phone that would be branded by European carrier Orange. Along with its look, the specifications lined up closely, including the 1.6GHz Atom chip and the rapid-fire, 10-photo burst shooting.
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02/13, 7:55pm
Motorola may use Intel Medfield in phone
Motorola's recent partnership with Intel may manifest itself soon if a possibly leaked render is accurate. The shot captured by PocketNow showed a silver, wedge-shaped design with no buttons on the front. Appropriately, it would be using Android 4.0 and appeared to have a handful of tweaks, such as a hybrid battery/time/weather widget and badges for missed messages.
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01/12, 12:15pm
Apple likely to refuse use of Intel chips
The VP of Intel's architecture group, Dave Whalen, says the company has been "talking to everybody" about using its Medfield chips in mobile devices, according to UK paper The Telegraph. "When we took over [development] in April we took a conscious decision to focus on Android," Whalen elaborates. "Windows, other operating systems -– we recognize that there will be opportunities. It’s not a 'no,' it's just not now. When the time's appropriate we'll look at other OSs."
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01/11, 4:00pm
K2110 pairs Medfield hardware with ICS
Intel is currently showing off a Lenovo tablet, the IdeaTab K2110, that appears to be the first Atom-based Android device to run the latest Ice Cream Sandwich build. The tablet utilizes the same Atom Z2460 processor that powers Intel's own Medfield smartphone reference design and Lenovo's K800 Android smartphone that are also on hand this week at CES.
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01/11, 2:35am
First mainstream Intel Android smartphone
Lenovo brought its new Atom-powered smartphone, the K800, to a special event following Intel's keynote at CES. Electronista had a chance to try out the unique device, which is expected to be the first Android handset to arrive on the market equipped with Intel's mobile processor.
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01/10, 3:25pm
Atom-based smartphone reference design
Although Intel is focusing on ultrabooks this week at CES, the company also brought along a prototype Android handset referred to by the CPU code-name Medfield. Electronista had a chance to try out the Atom-based platform, which aims to compete with ARM-based hardware utilized by most Android smartphones.
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12/30, 10:25am
LG could be first to use Intel Atom in phones
A rumor spread Friday has asserted that LG will be the first to make phones using Intel's Medfield platform for Atom chips. Citing unnamed executives from both companies, the Korea Times would have LG use the CES expo to show at least one Android smartphone running on an Atom. When it would ship, if at all, wasn't apparent.
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12/29, 2:25pm
Future Intel Medfield tablet spotted in the wild
The first tablet running Android 3 on Intel's Medfield platform has been spotted out in the wild by AndroidCommunity. While the Medfield tablets and smartphones are expected to be officially unveiled at CES, this latest leak reveals some tech specs. The 10.1-inch tablet will have a version of Android 3 preloaded and likely use a dual-core 1.6GHz processor. The source said the build quality of the tablet is great, with a hefty weight and thin build.
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12/27, 5:50pm
Intel Medfield benchmarks leak
A new discovery Tuesday has shown that Intel's Medfield chip for smartphones and tablets could temporarily claim the performance lead when it ships. Benchmarks at VR-Zone of a 1.6GHz example of the new Atom had it reach a score of 10,500 in Caffeinemark 3, an Android test for Java. The best ARM chip in the test, the 1.2GHz Exynos from the Samsung Galaxy S II, scored 8,500 points and let Intel take a roughly 24 percent lead.
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12/21, 12:35pm
Intel shows hopes for Atom phones ahead of CES
Intel in a rare step gave a hands-on test of its Medfield-based Atom phone and tablet reference designs to MIT. The institute's Technology Review in testing the Android 2.3-based phone called it "powerful and pleasing," noting that it could play "Blu-ray-quality" video with wireless TV streaming and could shoot burst photos at up to 15FPS for 10 shots. It was "on a par" with newer Android and iPhone hardware, according to the close look.
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12/02, 10:35pm
Intel says outside Android port fragments platform
The unofficial first Android 4.0 x86 port won't get help from Intel, the company's Google program lead Alec Gefrides said in an interview Friday. He noted to EE Times that the Android-x86 project, which is focused on bringing Android to traditional PCs, was largely a straight compile of the basic source code with generic PC support that wasn't Intel's focus. Intel was focused only on optimizing Android for Atom-based phones and tablets, and a spokeswoman added that supporting Android-x86 might fragment the platform further.
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09/13, 2:45pm
Intel, Google will bring Android to Atom chips
Intel and Google on Tuesday detailed a collaboration that will make Android compatible with the Atom range of low-power processors. This will help bring out Intel-based smartphones with Android to market quicker. Android developers will also have the option of bringing apps to the x86 platform for the first time.
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05/31, 12:05am
Intel ultrabook idea based on MacBook Air concept
Intel's Sean Maloney opened Computex in earnest with a keynote hoping to redefine the ultraportable notebook class. Now calling them "ultrabooks," Intel saw them as systems that were under 0.8 inches thick but could still start under $1,000. The category included systems like the ASUS UX21 and, by extension, the MacBook Air.
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05/30, 3:40pm
ARM plans for 50pc computer share in 4 years
ARM could be in half of all mobile computers within four years, company president Tudor Brown said in a speech at the Computex show in Taiwan. He gave the chips about 10 percent of the mobile PC market owing to the iPad and other tablets or smartbooks, but he expected that to jump to over 50 percent by 2015. The architecture's stake should to 15 percent just by the end of the year.
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04/12, 2:50pm
Intel talks Cloverview CPU and Android 3.0 support
Intel netbook and tablet group lead Doug Davis during a speech on Tuesday at the company's Beijing Developer Forum mentioned a follow-up processor to the Atom Z670. Called Cloverview, it would be built on the same 32 nanometer process as the Cedar Trail design for netbooks and the phone-oriented Medfield but target the in-between tablet category. Davis didn't give more details, but the shrink from 45nm in the Z670 to 32nm would reduce the size and power consumption.
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04/11, 5:40pm
Intel may partner with ZTE on Atom phone
Intel is looking to push its way into the smartphone market through a deal with ZTE, a pair of sources claimed Monday. The phone was designed by Intel and would have an Atom chip but would be made by the Chinese firm for sale within its home country. Bloomberg didn't mention hardware or OS details, but it would likely use the Medfield platform.
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03/21, 4:55pm
Intel ultramobile lead Chandrasekher quits
Intel in a surprise update said Monday that its Ultra Mobility Group lead Anand Chandrasekher was leaving the company. It would say only that he was leaving to "pursue other interests" after a 24-year career at the chip designer. Two vice presidents from the Intel Architecture Group, Mike Bell and Dave Whalen, would jointly take Chandrasekher's place effective immediately.
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02/23, 6:10am
Intel’s Atom-based ARM challenger due Q3?
Intel has accelerated the development of its Medfield third generation mobile internet device platform according to a report by Digitimes. Citing industry sources, Intel has now shipped prototypes of the Atom-based chips to its Taiwan-based hardware partners for testing. The latest design, fabricated on a 32nm process, is much improved over its predecessors and should be competitive with ARM-based mobile chip designs that currently dominate the mobile device market.
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02/13, 7:35pm
Intel MWC to involve MeeGo phone and tablet
A behind the scenes sighting on Sunday of last-minute Mobile World Congress prep at the Fira de Barcelona confirmed that Intel plans to show a Atom-based MeeGo smartphone at the event on Monday. The unnamed device was seen in a building-sized promo image side-by-side with an unnamed tablet running a larger version of MeeGo. Neither was given a name by Meet MeeGo, but the phone may be Aava Core hinted at earlier.
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02/03, 4:25pm
Aava to bring 2nd gen Core handset to MWC
Aava Mobile is issuing invites to check out its 8.9mm thin Core smartphone at the Mobile World Congress show in mid-February. The device will be powered by the Intel Medfield CPU, just like the phone briefly shown last week. The second-generation Core platform will run on both Android and MeeGo and be aimed at developers rather than end users.
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01/31, 2:55pm
Intel Medfield phone seen at sales event
Intel may have given shown the first known instance of a true smartphone using its Medfield-based Atom chips in a new sighting late Sunday. A shot has shown the Ultra Mobility Group's general manager Anand Chandrasekher holding up an unnamed phone at a sales event. From a distance, the hardware seen by a Meego.org forum goer looked to be running on Android but was clearly unrelated to the Aava phone prototype shown last year.
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12/08, 1:50pm
Intel says smartphone Atom not ready until 2011
Intel chief Paul Otellini on Wednesday revealed that smartphones running its processors won't arrive until the second half of 2011. After his company promised phones might ship as soon as early 2011 with the Atom Z600, the CEO told those at a Barclays conference that the true smartphone-class chips, codenamed Medfield, is still having its bugs worked out and won't be ready for most of next year.
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07/17, 9:50am
Intel Calpella at IDF Sept
Intel's Developer Forum in late September should mark the formal debut for its Calpella notebook platform and should serve as an opportunity to showcase its upcoming ultra-mobile technology as well, a leak indicated today. As part of an updated product roadmap, the semiconductor firm should provide detailed specs of Calpella and, presumably, the mobile Core i5 and i7 processors it will use. The overall platform is believed to ship in the fall.
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12/10, 7:40am
Intel Wraps 32nm Process
Intel today said it has completed its development work on 32 nanometer manufacturing for its processors. The method introduces a second-generation high-k metal gate as well as new approaches to making patterning layers and transistors, all of which result in a more energy-efficient and thus cooler technology than for Intel's current 45nm chips. Shrinking the process keeps the company on schedule for introducing a new, smaller manufacturing technique each year.
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12/08, 9:05am
Intel Atom 32nm PowerVR
Intel's Atom processor lineup may receive a significant graphics boost in the near future and a more efficient process in less than two years, according to a roadmap leaked by the Register. Intel's next-generation Poulsbo architecture for handhelds, headlined by the Lincroft version of the Atom processor, will reportedly drop Intel's in-house graphics hardware in favor of a PowerVR core integrated with the Atom processor itself. The claimed move would reduce power consumption without sacrificing too much performance and would specifically compete against ARM-based smartphones.
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