Intel showed off its smartphone reference design at CES 2012 and said that it will announce a smartphone partner soon and now the news has arrived. Intel has entered into a multi-year partnership with handset maker Motorola Mobility which will use Intel’s Atom’s chips in it’s Android smartphones.The phones will be shipping later this year.Motorola will continue to use Qualcomm and TI chips in its phones.The partnership includes tablets as well so we might see Motorola tablets powered by Intel silicon in the future.
The Intel Atom Z2460 processor is the Intel brings to the table and Motorola brings it hardware expertise. Google and Intel already have a tie up to run Android on those chips.The news about Intel Medfield devices coming in Q3 2011 is true after all.
Press Release
Motorola Mobility to Begin Shipping Intel®-Based Smartphone in 2H 2012
INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Las Vegas, Jan. 10, 2012 – Intel Corporation and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) announced that the two companies were entering into a multi-year, multi-device strategic relationship that includes smartphones which Motorola will begin shipping later this year using Intel® Atom™ processors and the Android* platform.
The collaboration, which also covers tablets, will combine Intel’s leadership in silicon processor technology and computing innovation with Motorola’s mobile device design expertise to deliver products that have the high performance, long battery life and convenience necessary for increasingly mobile lifestyles.
“When great silicon and software technology meets great mobile and design innovation, amazing things can happen,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “Our long-term relationship with Motorola Mobility will help accelerate Intel® architecture into new mobile market segments. We expect the combination of our companies to break new ground and bring the very best of computing capabilities to smartphones and tablets, which in turn will help to create powerful new experiences that connect and enrich people’s lives wherever they may be.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with Intel to deliver smartphones and tablets based on Intel’s Atom processor to consumers and businesses,” said Sanjay Jha, Chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility. “Though there are 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world, less than 800 million are using a smartphone today. With Android as the leading smartphone OS globally and advancements in computing technology we see tremendous opportunity for the converged devices market.”
Smartphones and tablets are quickly becoming an indispensible part of people’s daily lives — making them constant companions. The strategic relationship between Intel and Motorola Mobility will expand opportunity for continued innovation in these areas as they work closely to leverage Intel’s low power system-on-chip (SoC) roadmap for Motorola Mobility’s converged mobile device portfolio. The companies will collaborate across hardware, software and services to deliver complete solutions and disruptive new user experiences that offer long battery life, increased computing performance, advanced imaging and video capabilities, and seamless wireless connections.