Comments on: Intel Smartphones Coming in 2011, But Consumers Won’t Care

By: anon

anon — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:31:56 +0000

The point I think the article mises is that developing software for x86 is a non-issue. EVERYTHING runs on x86 already.

The main hurdle in porting current x86 OS’s to a phone is going to be power consumption, but there are a number of very low overhead x86 OS’s available currently. Added advanced power saving features from organizations like Ubuntu and Microsoft are likely to appear if atoms ever do hit the handset market.

I think the main hurdle here is going to be for ARM OS’s. Will there be enough development in meaningful applications for the ARM platforms to provide applications capable of competing with those currently available on a x86 desktop.

By: Look Out Intel: Here Comes Qualcomm’s Next Super Chip: Tech News «

Look Out Intel: Here Comes Qualcomm’s Next Super Chip: Tech News « — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:10:54 +0000

[...] This year may be remembered by history as the debut of the highly-capable ”superphone” but if Qualcomm has any say, 2011 could bring another quantum leap in smartphone computing, reports AnandTech. The mobile chip designer introduced plans for next generation silicon at an analyst event yesterday, claiming next year’s chips will offer five times greater performance with 75 percent less power draw compared to its current Snapdragon line. Attributes like this will only further that gap between ARM-based chips and those of Intel, which has yet to find a foothold in the fast-growing smartphone market. [...]

By: It’s Gonna Be an Android World and We’ll Just Live in It: Tech News «

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:37:19 +0000

[...] in the processor market, with Texas Instruments and Samsung in the mix, Nvidia still pushing and Intel pressing to get into the market. The ARM-licensing model means that an x86 style domination would be more difficult to maintain. [...]

By: Chips Don’t Lie: Mobile Is Hot: Tech News «

Chips Don’t Lie: Mobile Is Hot: Tech News « — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:41:15 +0000

[...] The huge need for mobile processors isn’t lost on companies like Intel, which until only a few years ago focused its x86 chip architecture on fast CPUs for desktops and laptops. With the mobile revolution underway, Intel is attempting to gain a foothold with lower-power Atom chips that sip power from the smaller batteries of mobile devices. But chips based on ARM’s architecture have always been power efficient and with each new iteration gain faster performance. As a result, handset makers continue to use ARM-based CPUs from Qualcomm, Samsung and Texas Intstruments, or, as with Apple and its A4 CPU for iOS devices, are creating their own processors. Intel’s late to the table, and Om thinks the company will be a mobile loser. I tend to agree. [...]

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:09:07 +0000

The usual affluent but numerically tiny Apple crowd can afford to own multiple Apple devices, so to these people, they have the lightweight iPhone operating system on their iPhones and iPads, and powerful OSX Mac desktops.

For the masses of average folks though, it's their featurephone, and their Windows netbook- 30 million sold in 2009, or laptop or desktop. With a full-blown x86 desktop operating system on a mobile device, the average folks may just go only with a mobile device.

By: tom

tom — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:17:08 +0000

as strictly a hackers toy it will be a bit of fun to install windows on one of these.

By: Yusuf

Yusuf — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:30:47 +0000

X86 is the most preferred platform for developers around the world and the number of applications that exists for X86 platform is at least a thousand times more than any ARM platform. The user experience for an X86 based smartphone will be far greater than that of an ARM based smartphone as the user can almost download any application of his choice from the internet and run it on the phone. Its going to be almost a PC in you pocket.
The best part is going to be – application development, unlike ARM you dont need to cross compile and deal with compatibility issues. Instead take any source code(from millions of open source projects) , switch library (mostly GUI), compile and run!

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:46:42 +0000

Feels like de ja vue, we are back to the old PC compatible days inly now for smart phones.

A little competition on the OS is good, a lot will fragment development - like the whole flash thing on Apple.

By: N8nnc

N8nnc — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:30:58 +0000

Enjoyable analysis.

You say: "Support for the x86 platforms such as Windows, OS X and desktop versions of Linux aren’t required by the smartphones of today — or tomorrow, for that matter — when there are very capable mobile platforms that can run on ARM devices."

The odd man out is Windows. OS X and Linux already can run on ARM. (This ignores the question of whether a desktop experience is appropriate for a mobile device, but I can imagine an iPad+ where a similiar UX might work.)

By: Jacob Varghese

Jacob Varghese — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:54:10 +0000

I don’t think companies want to be tied to just one supplier.
1. Look at all the supply issues around Intel’s latest laptop processors i3, i5, and i7.
2. Restrictions on motherboard design that prevent Nvidia from building their graphics chips into these boards.

ARM is the way to go. Companies can work with a variety of suppliers for chips – Qualcomm, Nvidia, Samsung….