Intel has launched the first smartphone powered by its x86-derived Medfield CPU, which it hopes will challenge ARM processors in the mobile device market.
According to Ars Technica, the new processor powers the low-cost Xolo X900 Android smartphone.
The Medfield-based handset, with an initial release in India, is compatible with most Android apps through emulation.
ARM processors, derived from the Acorn RISC Machine CPUs used in successors to the BBC Micro B, have traditionally powered low-power and mobile devices, while Intel’s x86 chips have historically been predominantly used in desktop PCs.
Intel hopes the release of Windows 8 later this year, combined with new processor designs, will help it gain a foothold in ARM’s traditional mobile device market.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
