Intel has announced a new version of its Atom processor for smartphones and tablet devices. Previously code-named Moorestown, the Intel Atom processor Z6xx (which contains 140 million transistors) is capable of delivering multitasking, full 1080p video playback, 720p HD video recording and 3D graphics with lower power consumption than previous designs. The company says this means up to 10 days of standby, up to 2 days of audio playback or 4 to 5 hours of browsing and video.
Processor speeds of up to 1.5GHz are supported for smartphones, with up to 1.9GHz for tablets.
Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the company's Ultra Mobility Group, said "Intel has delivered its first product that is opening the door for Intel architecture [IA] in the smartphone market segment. Through 'Moorestown', Intel is scaling the benefits of IA while significantly reducing the power, cost and footprint to better address handheld market segments. As a result of our efforts, the Intel Atom processor is pushing the boundaries of higher performance at significantly lower power to show what's possible as handheld devices become small, powerful mobile computers."