The long-awaited confirmation of Intel’s first mobile phones came at CES, as Lenovo and Motorola confirmed they were working with the chipmaker, The Telegraph reported.
Lenovo’s K800 will launch in China in the second quarter of this year, while Motorola will gain regulatory approval in the summer and launch in the following months across Europe and America. The announcements mark Intel’s first tangible bid to challenge the smartphone dominance of British company Arm, whose chips power many of the world’s most popular phones. The rapidly expanding mobile market will, Intel hopes, complement its new laptops and other devices.
Paul Ottelini, the company’s chief executive, said the relationship with Lenovo was “just the beginning”, as he also announced “Intel reference designs” for phones and tablets.
Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha said that the multi-year deal would see “the best of Intel products’ in Motorola handsets and tablets.
Mr Ottelini also showcased the new Dell XPS 13 laptop, one of many new sim and light “ultrabooks” to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). He also offered further demonstrations of “concept” ultrabooks using a touchscreen interface or which can transform easily from tablets to laptops. He said this offered the best of both form-factors and was made possible by Intel’s new chips. “It’s about the device adapting to us not the other way round”, he claimed.
