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Intel and LG Team Up For x86 Smartphone

Posted by Soulskill on from the my-dumbphone-looks-worse-every-day dept.

gbjbaanb writes "I love stories about new smartphones; it shows the IT market is doing something different than the usual same-old desktop apps. Maybe one day we'll all be using super smartphones as our primary computing platforms. And so, here's Intel's offering: the LG GW990. Running a Moorestown CPU, which gives 'considerably' better energy efficiency than the Atom, it runs Intel's Linux distro — Moblin. Quoting: 'In some respects, the GW990 — which has an impressive high-resolution 4.8-inch touchscreen display — seems more like a MID than a smartphone. It's possible that we won't see x86 phones with truly competitive all-day battery life until the emergence of Medfield, the Moorestown successor that is said to be coming in 2011. It is clear, however, that Intel aims to eventually compete squarely with ARM in the high-end smartphone market."

4 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Intel and LG Team Up For x86 Smartphone by omar.sahal · · Score: 3, Insightful

    compete squarely with ARM in the high-end smartphone market

    How can they do that when producing an ARM processor cost only ARMs royalty + costs added on from many producers (Texas instruments qualcomm et al).

    1. Re:Intel and LG Team Up For x86 Smartphone by sznupi · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ...and order of magnitude less power usage for the same performance. Meaning less problems with heat, smaller battery, much smaller phone with comparable performance.

      There is no benefit of x86 on smartphones that could drag Intel into this market, quite the contrary; ARM is established, and working very fine.

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
  2. Can we lose the can't do attitude? by copponex · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This solutions to this are simple. This took me about a minute, not counting proof reading.

    1) The charging device also has a small hard drive built into it that always syncs the data - just like iTunes already does if you have an iPhone.

    2) The unique data - contact, calendars, documents - are constantly backed up to a server over the internet connection. Program data can easily be preloaded or reloaded onto a new phone.

    3) As far as monetary risks are concerned, there is something called insurance. You may want to look into it.

    The line between what a cell phone and a laptop and a computer mean intrinsically will continue to blur. Soon it will be simply the size of the interface. You'll have a mobile. Maybe the mobile will dock into a laptop or tablet style chassis to provide extra power and a full keyboard and larger screen - just like Lenovo just demonstrated at CES. The mobile can also be docked to your desktop system if you really need some extra horsepower or a fiber connection to the net. Meanwhile, your data is always with you. Doesn't sound so bad.

  3. Re:Do Not Want by EvilNTUser · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If my phone had a USB host port, I could do all of the things you mentioned, and it runs Maemo + ARM Debian. Nasty corporate software excluded - and we'll all be better off if those guys are forced to modify their crap.

    Might I also suggest that you don't switch to a bank with a website that wants to run binaries on your computer. For your own good.

    --
    My Sig: SEGV