Intel shows first smartphone with Merrifield chip
Intel on Tuesday showed the first smartphone based on its next Atom smartphone chip code-named Merrifield, which will provide better performance and battery life than current Atom chips. — The Merrifield chip will offer 50 percent better performance …
Context & Ripple Effects
Intel’s mobile effort has moved through an early Moorestown smartphone demonstration and Medfield, whose lack of LTE support was a clear constraint in 2012. The May 2013 Silvermont architecture reveal framed a more serious attempt to narrow the gap with established smartphone-chip suppliers.
Merrifield puts that architectural push into a handset demonstration, while Intel is also pursuing device traction after a reported Clover Trail win for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 and a new devices unit under Mike Bell.
First-order effects
- Intel gains a tangible Merrifield reference device to support its claims of higher Atom performance and battery life when pitching handset makers.
- Existing Atom smartphone designs face an immediate upgrade path, with Intel positioning Merrifield rather than Medfield as its next mobile platform.
Second-order effects
- Rival smartphone-chip makers must contend with an Intel mobile pitch centered on both improved performance and battery life, not merely x86 compatibility.
- Handset makers evaluating Intel receive a more concrete signal that the company is committing product and organizational resources to mobile devices after missing the iPhone design win.
Third-order effects
- If Merrifield converts demonstrations into handset designs, Intel’s mobile strategy shifts from periodic Atom prototypes toward a sustained platform challenge to the smartphone-chip ecosystem it previously ceded to competitors.
- The company’s ability to close platform gaps such as cellular connectivity will determine whether improved CPU efficiency translates into a durable OEM alternative.
The trend: Intel is attempting to turn a long-running Atom mobile program into a competitive smartphone platform through faster architecture updates, reference devices, and deeper device-market focus.