Doug Olenick On Jan 28 2013 - 1:00am

Intel Goes Mobile With CES Intros

LAS VEGAS – Intel continued its drive into the smartphone, tablet and Ultrabook markets at International CES.

Intel unveiled its Lexington Atom processor for smartphones, the 7-watt Intel Core Z2760 processor for Ultrabook convertibles, and its fourth-generation Intel Core processors, formerly code-named Haswell. Company executives also showed off a new 22nanometer quadcore Atom system-on-a-chip processor that will be in products by the 2013 holiday season.

“By targeting the low end, Intel can attempt to address the market with the greatest opportunity for growth in the smartphone business during the next few years,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst for wireless communications at IHS. “With Intel now holding a negligible share of the global smartphone applications processor market, the company appears to be taking the steps it needs to in order to have a chance at expanding its presence in this segment.”

Sideco called Intel’s share of the Qualcommdominated smartphone market “minimal at best” but noted the company has nowhere to go but up.

Intel’s latest Z2420 smartphone processor runs at 1.2GHz when used with the company’s Hyper-Threading technology. This enables devices using the processor to encode and decod 1080p video, and support two cameras – including one with a 7-photo-per-second burst mode at 5 megapixels.

The new Z2760 tablet processors, codenamed Bay Trail, will deliver twice the performance of the current dual-core chips now on the market. The processor will also allow tablet manufacturers to develop models down to 8mm in depth.

The new Ultrabook processor are for both touchscreen and conventional models.

For ultra-thin Ultrabooks, Intel is bringing a new line of ULV processors into production early. These 7-watt chips will allow for thinner and lighter convertible Ultrabooks.

For traditional clamshell Ultrabooks, Intell rolled out its fourth-generation Core Haswell processor. These are the first Intel processors specifically designed for the Ultrabook market. The company believes these will tremendously improve power consumption.