At this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Intel announced a range of new
products, ecosystem and solutions that will further accelerate the company’s presence in
mobile and help usher in new devices and richer experiences with Intel Inside.
The announcements include a new dual-core Atom SoC ("Clover Trail+") platform for
smartphones and Android tablets, and the company’s first global, multimode-multiband LTE
solution that will ship in the first half of this year. Other disclosures included “Bay Trail”
momentum, mobile device enabling efforts, and continued smartphone momentum in
emerging markets with the Intel Atom Z2420 processor-based platform.
“Today’s announcements build on Intel’s growing device portfolio across a range of mobile
market segments,” said Hermann Eul, Intel vice president and co-general manager of the
Mobile and Communications Group. “In less than a year's time we have worked closely with
our customers to bring Intel-based smartphones to market in more than 20 countries around
the world, and have also delivered an industry-leading low-power Atom SoC tablet solution
running Windows 8, and shipping with leading OEM customers today. Looking forward, we
will build upon this foundation and work closely with our ecosystem partners, across
operating systems, to deliver the best mobile products and experiences for consumers with
Intel Inside.”
New, Efficient Atom SoC Platform
Intel’s new Atom processor platform ("Clover Trail+") and smartphone reference design
delivers industry-leading performance with low-power and long battery life that rivals
today’s most popular Android phones. The product brings Intel’s classic product strengths,
including high performance that lets you enjoy smooth Web browsing, vibrant, glitch-free,
full HD movies, and an Android applications experience that launches fast and runs great.
The platform’s 32nm dual core Intel Atom Processors - Z2580, Z2560, Z2520 - are
available in speeds up to 2.0 GHz, 1.6 GHz and 1.2GHz, respectively. The processor also
features support for Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, supporting four simultaneous
application threads and further enhancing the overall efficiency of the Atom cores.
The integrated platform also includes an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator engine with a
graphics core supporting up to 533MHz with boost mode, and delivering up to three times
the graphics performance 1 for rich 3-D visuals, lifelike gaming and smooth, full 1080P
hardware-accelerated video encode and decode at 30fps.
“Our second-generation product delivers double the compute performance and up to three
times the graphics capabilities, all while maintaining competitive low power,” Eul said. “As
we transition to 22nm Atom SoCs later this year, we will take full advantage of the broad
spectrum of capabilities enabled by our design, architecture, 22nm tri-gate transistor
technology, and leading-edge manufacturing to further accelerate our position.”
The new Atom platform also brings advanced imaging capabilities, including support for two
cameras, with a primary camera sensor up to 16 megapixels. The imaging system also
enables panorama capture, a 15 frame-per-second burst mode for 8 megapixel photos, real-
time facial detection and recognition, and mobile HDR image capture with de-ghosting for
clearer pictures in flight.
The platform is also equipped with Intel Identity Protection Technology (Intel IPT), helping to
enable strong, two-factor authentication for protecting cloud services such as remote
banking, e-commerce, online gaming and social networking from unauthorized access. Since
Intel IPT is embedded at chip-level, unlike hardware or phone-based tokens, it can enable
more secure, yet user-friendly cloud access protection. Intel is working with partners
including Feitian, Garanti Bank, MasterCard, McAfee, SecureKey Technologies Inc.,
Symantec, Vasco Data Security International Inc. and Visa Inc. to incorporate this
technology into their services.
With WUXGA display support of 1900x1200, the platform will also enable larger-screen
Android tablet designs. It also includes support for Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), Intel Wireless
Display Technology, HSPA+ at 42Mbps with the Intel XMM 6360 slim modem solution, and
the new industry-standard UltraViolet Common File Format.
Customers announcing support for "Clover Trail+" platform for phones and tablets include
ASUS, Lenovo, and ZTE.
Debuting at CES last month, the Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 is based on the Intel Atom
processor Z2580 and delivers rich video, graphics and Web content at fantastic speeds. The
IdeaPhone is 6.9mm thin and also features the world’s first 5.5-inch full high-definition
400+ PPI screen for increased clarity of text and images. The K900 will be the first product
to market based on the Atom processor Z2580. Lenovo plans to introduce the smartphone in
the second quarter of 2013 in China, followed soon by select international markets.
Building on the Atom processor platform ("Clover Trail+"), Intel also highlighted its
forthcoming 22nm smartphone Atom™ SoC ("Merrifield"). The product is based on Intel’s
leading-edge 22nm process and an entirely new Atom microarchitecture that will help enable
increased smartphone performance, power efficiency and battery life.
Long-Term Evolution (4G LTE)
Intel’s strategy is to deliver a leading low-power, global modem solution that works across
multiple bands, modes, regions and devices.
The Intel XMM 7160 is one of the world’s smallest and lowest-power multimode-multiband
LTE solutions (LTE / DC-HSPA+ / EDGE), supporting multiple devices including
smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks. The 7160 global modem supports 15 LTE bands
simultaneously, more than any other in-market solution. It also includes a highly
configurable RF architecture running real time algorithms for envelope tracking and antenna
tuning that enables cost-efficient multiband configurations, extended battery life, and global
roaming in a single SKU.
“The 7160 is a well-timed and highly competitive 4G LTE solution that we expect will meet
the growing needs of the emerging global 4G market,” Eul said. “Independent analysts have
shown our solution to be world class and I’m confident that our offerings will lead Intel into
new multi-comm solutions. With LTE connections projected to double over the next 12
months to more than 120 million connections, we believe our solution will give developers
and service providers a single competitive offering while delivering to consumers the best
global 4G experience. Building on this, Intel will also accelerate the delivery of new
advanced features to be timed with future advanced 4G network deployments.”
Intel is currently shipping its single mode 4G LTE data solution and will begin multimode
shipments later in the first half of this year. The company is also optimizing its LTE
solutions concurrently with its SoC roadmap to ensure the delivery of leading-edge low-
power combined solutions to the marketplace.
Intel Atom Platform Z2420
As Intel expands its geographic presence, the company sees tremendous opportunity in
delivering rich Intel-based mobile experiences to consumers across emerging markets.
As part of its strategy to take advantage of the fast growing market for value smartphones
in emerging markets, which some analysts expect to reach 500 million units by 2015, Intel
highlighted continuing momentum with the Intel Atom Processor Z2420 platform (formerly
"Lexington"). Since it was first announced at CES, Acer (Thailand, Malaysia), Lava
(India) and Safaricom (Kenya) have all announced new handsets.
Etisalat Misr, a leading telco operator based in Egypt and a subsidiary of Etisalat group
UAE, in collaboration with Intel today announced plans for the Etisalat E-20 Smartphone
with Intel Inside. Set to debut in Egypt in April, the Intel-based handset will be the first in
the Middle East and North Africa region, and the second introduction in Africa to-date,
building on the recent launch of Safaricom in Kenya.
Demonstrating the flexibility of the Atom SoC platform to accommodate a range of device
and market segment needs, ASUS later today will announce a new Android tablet based on
the Intel Atom Processor Z2420.
Tablets with Intel Inside
Building on the device momentum and industry-leading power-efficiency of the award-
winning Atom processor Z2760 , Intel’s first quad-core Atom SoC ("Bay Trail"), will be the
most powerful Atom processor to-date - doubling the computing performance of Intel’s
current- generation tablet offering and providing the ecosystem with a strong technology
foundation and feature set from which to innovate. The "Bay Trail" platform, scheduled to be
available for holiday 2013, is already up and running on Windows and Android and will help
enable new experiences in designs as thin as 8mm that have all-day battery life and weeks
of standby.
Intel is currently working with Compal, ECS, Pegatron, Quanta and Wistron to accelerate "Bay
Trail" tablets to the market. Intel is also extending its work with leading OEM partners
globally, building on the strong foundation of Intel Atom processor Z2760-based tablet
designs in market from Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG Electronics and Samsung.
Enabling Mobile Devices with Intel Inside
Intel today announced an expansion of its ecosystem enabling efforts to deliver new device
and market innovations across a range of Windows- and Android-based mobile devices.
Intel platform and enabling programs have been the foundation of OEM and ODM innovation
for decades. The new program will focus on accelerating time to market for leading-edge
mobile devices based on Intel architecture with top OEMs and ODMs. The program will focus
first on tablets, followed by phones, providing pre-qualified solutions with simplified building
blocks to scale designs quickly for mature and emerging markets. The Atom Processor
Z2760 and the company’s forthcoming 22nm Atom SoC, codenamed "Bay Trail," will be the
starting foundation for the effort.
