Intel outs 64-bit KitKat Android, ‘Braswell’ chip for Chromebooks
Intel is touting a future system-on-a-chip for low-cost PCs and tablets and a 64-bit version of Android 4.4. — Toshiba's Chromebook uses a low-cost Intel Celeron processor. Intel's upcoming Braswell chip could find its way into future Chromebooks.
Context & Ripple Effects
Intel is extending the 64-bit Android push it laid out in January with Bay Trail: alongside that chip's Q2 arrival on tablets, it has now produced a 64-bit build of Android 4.4 KitKat itself, removing the OS-side blocker for its silicon in Android devices.
The other half of the announcement targets Google's laptop line. Since the Haswell Chromebook wave from Acer, HP, ASUS, and Toshiba in late 2013, Chromebooks have run on standard notebook processors like the Celeron in Toshiba's model; Braswell would be Intel's first SoC pitched specifically at that segment, aimed at low-cost PCs and tablets as well as future Chromebooks. The pickup across eight outlets from Engadget to PhoneArena reflects how closely watchers treat any Intel move in both Android and Chrome OS.
First-order effects
- OEMs building cheap Chromebooks around Celeron parts — Toshiba among them — gain a purpose-built SoC option that could lower the bill of materials for future models.
- Android tablet vendors planning Bay Trail devices now have an official 64-bit KitKat to ship against, matching what Intel promised for Q2.
Second-order effects
- If Braswell lands in Chromebooks, the price floor of the category drops further, forcing rivals selling entry notebooks — including ARM-based and AMD-equipped designs — to compete on cost per device rather than specs.
- A single Intel silicon roadmap serving both Android tablets and Chromebooks gives OEMs an easier path to dual-form-factor product lines built from the same platform.
Third-order effects
- Chrome OS and Android converging onto the same x86 SoC family points toward Intel positioning itself as the default supplier across Google's client platforms, with chip generation cadence — Bay Trail, Braswell, and successors — setting the refresh rhythm for the whole low-cost device market.
The trend: Intel is moving downmarket into Google's Chromebook and Android ecosystems by pairing each new low-power SoC generation with OS-level support, tightening its grip on sub-premium devices.