Google and Intel have announced a partnership deal which will bring Intel-powered Android smartphones and tablets to our shops in the near future.
Future versions of Intel’s portable Atom processor will be designed with Android devices in mind, say Google and Intel.
“By optimising the Android platform for Intel architecture, we bring a powerful new capability to market that will accelerate more industry adoption and choice, and bring exciting new products to market that harness the combined potential of Intel technology and the Android platform,” said Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, just yesterday.
Choice can only be a good thing for the consumer; something Google have realised and started to work on by inviting Intel to create processors and chipsets for Android products.
Until now the Android smartphone and tablet market is dominated by two major chip manufacturers, Nvidia and Qualcomm. Nvidia’s Dual-Core Tegra 2 chip is used in devices such as the Motorola Xoom and LG Optimus 2X, while Qualcomm’s range of mobile processors are used in smartphones from Blackberry, HTC, Samsung and many more.
By allowing Intel to create chips for Android devices, Google will be able to offer their software in different types of products, as well as getting a bigger variety of smartphones and tablets into the market.
At present we don’t know which device manufacturers plan to use the new Intel chips, though at present there are well over 50 manufacturers producing Android devices that could create an Intel-based Android smartphone or tablet.
Intel and Google hinted at an early 2012 timeframe for when we should expect to see the first Android devices with Intel power. Fingers crossed we’ll see something materialise at the Mobile World Conference event in Barcelona next February!