Computex 2013: Intel makes case for Atom in tablets and smartphones

Summary: After many false starts, Intel may finally be gaining momentum in mobile with several wins in tablets and hybrids announced this week at Computex, and new Silvermont processors and a global 4G LTE modem on the way.

Intel's Hermann Eul explains the company's strategy to break into smartphones and tablets at Computex.

One day after the launch of the fourth-generation Core processors, Intel held a separate event focused on its Atom processors for tablets and smartphones. The company didn’t break any news, but Dr. Hermann Eul, head of Intel’s mobile group, explained the company’s strategy to compete with ARM and why it may finally be gaining momentum in mobile.

Eul said that Intel’s strategy is to develop “leadership products” (from entry-level to high-performance), provide complete platforms, and deliver the scale for mobile markets. “You all know that Intel can create markets,” he said. The foundation of all of this, he said, is Intel’s architecture and process technology.

After years of false starts this strategy seems to be paying off with a steady increase in the number of Intel-based tablets and smartphones in the market. And it is paying off with positive reviews. Eul said that the current Atom single- and dual-cores are very competitive with the best dual-core ARM solutions. (ARM disputed this at its own press conference earlier this week.)

Intel is now shipping Clover Trail+, a dual-core processor that delivers twice the performance (three times the graphics capabilities), lower power and longer battery life than the previous generation. Lenovo’s K900 smartphone was the first device to use Clover Trail+ (the 2.0GHz Atom Z2580). The first device in the market to use Clover Trail is the with 2.0GHz Atom Z2580. Asus CEO Jerry Shen came onstage to talk about two new products, the MemoPad FHD 10 tablet and Fonepad Note FHD 6 phablet, which both use the 1.6GHz dual-core Atom Z2560 processor. Eul mentioned several other products using Atom--several of which were announced this week--including the Acer Iconia W3, Asus Transformer Book Trio, Lenovo IdeaPad Mix 10, Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and ZTE smartphones.

Intel announced its next architecture, Silvermont, on 22nm with Tri-Gate transistors, a few weeks ago. Silvermont will be used in variety of platforms including Bay Trail for tablets and Merrifield for smartphones. It will deliver three times more peak performance or five times less power. The first Bay Trail tablets running Windows 8.1 or Android will be available by the end of the year. Eul said these will have twice the performance of the current platform, better graphics and about 8 hours of battery life. Intel demonstrated the performance of a Bay Trail tablet on video transcoding (2.5 times faster than Clover Trail) and playing a “full PC game,” Runic Games’s Torchlight 2.

On smartphones, Merrifield will deliver 50 percent better performance, longer battery life and more advanced imaging features than Intel’s current platform, Eul said. The first Merrifield smartphones will ship next year—expect lots of announcements at Mobile World Congress in February.

What’s really holding back Intel on smartphone isn’t performance, or even power; it is the lack of a global 4G LTE baseband. Intel is currently shipping a 3G baseband, the XMM 6262 and will begin shipping an LTE multimode baseband, the XMM 7160, in “coming weeks.” Eul said the chip will be smaller and use less power than competing solutions. The XMM 7160 will be used not only in smartphones, but also in tablets, 2-in-1s and standard clamshell Ultrabooks. The Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch tablet will use the 1.60GHz Atom Z2560 (Clover Trail+) and either the XMM 6262 or XMM 7160. Eul demonstrated both a Bay Trail tablet and an Ultrabook running on Far EasTone’s 4G LTE test network. Intel is also working on a single-chip solutions with integrated 3G and 4G modems, but it won’t comment on the timing.

Intel has yet to land a global hero phone, but its mobile business is clearly headed in the right direction. Altogether Intel’s mobile group expects to ship more than 400 million chips to customers this year, Eul said. What’s interesting is that Intel can also leverage all this mobile technology to “reinvent” PCs as well. A thin and light convertible with a Bay Trail quad-core, integrated global 4G LTE and Windows 8.1 at prices starting around $400 should be pretty compelling.

Toshiba launches three 10.1-inch Android tablets

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Toshiba has added three 10.1-inch Android tablets to its Excite lineup, priced from US$299 to US$599.

The first is the Excite Pure.

According to CNET, the tablet comes equipped with industry standard 1280x800 resolution display and is powered by Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. The tablet has a 1.2 MP front camera but oddly enough, no rear camera. The tablet runs on the Google Android 4.2.2 OS and has 16GB of storage. The storage on the tablet can also be expanded through a microSD card slot, as the tablet also offers connectivity through Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB. The Toshiba Excite Pure is priced at 16,876 rupees (US$299).

Excite Pure (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

The second tablet is the Excite Pro.

This is priced at 28,164 rupees (US$499). What makes this tablet different from Excite Pure is that it runs Nvidia's new Tegra 4 processor and the Google Android Jellybean OS. The resolution is also enhanced at 2560x1600 resolution display. The cameras are also are a far improvement from the Excite Pure, as the Excite Pro has a 1.3 MP front camera and 8 MP rear camera. It comes in a 32GB storage variant and sports dual Harman Kardon speakers. Just like the Excite Pure, the Excite Pro also has Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB, and microSD ports.

Excite Pro. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Finally, the third new tablet being introduced by Toshiba is the Excite Write.

Priced at 33,808 rupees (US$599). As the name would suggest, this tablet allows the user to write with a Wacom digitizer that comes with the tablet. The Excite Pro and Excite Write are fundamentally the same tablet, with nearly identical specs and designs. The Excite Write is in direct competition against the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. The Samsung Galaxy Note series has software that supports the S-Pen functionalities, while the Toshiba Excite Write does not. The tablet currently comes with only one app to make full use of the stylus, which is Toshiba's own TruNote note-taking app. Furthermore, the Toshiba Write does not have a slot to hold the stylus for the tablet as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 does.

Excite Write. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Personally, if I had to choose from the three, I would go with the Excite Pro simply because for the price the specifications are amazing. I've never been a real fan of writing on devices or using the stylus, and even though the price difference between the Excite Pro and Excite Write is simply for the additional writing capabilities, again, this is something I can live without right now.

What's also appealing to me, in addition to being sold on the Toshiba name, is the addition of Harman Kardon speakers. Anyone who knows their music will recognize Harman Kardon as being one of the best in the industry, and it's great to see their products being incorporated within mobile devices. 

Toshiba Launches three 10.1-inch Android tablets

Toshiba has added three 10.1-inch Android tablets to its Excite lineup, priced from $ 299 to $ 599.

First is inflammatory.

According to CNET, the Tablet is equipped with industry standard 1280 x 800 resolution and is powered by the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. The Tablet has a 1.2 MP front camera but oddly has no rear camera. The tablet running on Google's Android OS 4.2.2 and has 16 GB of storage space. Storage on tablet can also be expanded through a microSD slot, the Tablet also offers connectivity via Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB. Toshiba Excite clean is priced to 16,876 rupees (US $ 299).

Excite clean (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

The second painting is inflammatory Pro.

This is priced at 28,164 rupees (US $ 499). What separates this tablet from Excite pure is that NVIDIA's new Tegra 2 processor and Google Android Jellybean OS. The resolution is also increased at 2560 x 1600 resolution. The cameras are also a far improvement from inflammatory pure, inflammatory Pro has a 1.3 MP front camera and 8 .3MP rear camera. It comes in a 32 GB storage variation and sports dual Harman Kardon speakers. Just as inflammatory clean has inflammatory Pro also Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB and microSD ports.

Excite Pro. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Finally, the third new Tablet introduced by Toshiba Excite write.

Priced at 33,808 rupees (US $ 599). As the name suggests, allows this tablet user to write with a Wacom digitizer that comes with the tablet. Excite Pro and excite writing is basically the same tablet, with almost identical specifications and designs. Excite says is in direct competition against Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1. Samsung Galaxy note series has software that supports S-Pen functions, while the Toshiba Excite write not. The Tablet is currently just an app to make full use of the stylus, which is Toshiba's own notes app TruNote. Toshiba writing has, moreover, not a place to hold the pen tablet like the Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 does.

Excite sign. (Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Personally, if I had to choose between the three, I'd go with excite Pro simply because the price specifications is amazing. I've never been a real fan of the type of devices or using the pen and, although the price gap between excite and excite Pro write is simply for additional writing capacity, again, this is something I can live without right now.

What is also appealing to me, besides being sold at the Toshiba name, is the addition of Harman Kardon speakers. Does anyone know their music will again Harman Kardon as one of the best in the business and it's great to see their products in mobile devices.

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Best Android tablets (June 2013 edition)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 6.3 3 is due out in June.

All that is know about the new tab 3 are all rumors, not a fact. There seems to be enough evidence to support the rumors. When (or if) the tab 3 hits shelves in June, when we will have the real numbers.

Samsung has apparently benchmarking their unreleased tablet. These benchmarks are unconfirmed and maybe not the release version.

What makes this interesting is that Samsung uses an Intel Atom instead of their own ARM Based processor in Exynos Galaxy Tab 6.3 3.

AnTuTu total overall benchmark score sticks in
Tab 3 10 at 24,616
Nexus 10 at 13,750
(points came from AnTuTu website)

This gives Intel Clover Trail tablet almost 80% boost over the best performing Nexus 10.

The new tab 3 use a PowerVR SGX GPU 544MP

GFXBench 2.7
Galaxy 3 654 frames @ 10.5 Fps (7652)
Nexus 10 478 frames @ 8.5 Fps (4063)
The numbers in parentheses are frames x Fps
While this may not be a valid way to compare shows the Galaxy out performs the Nexus-10. The figures in brackets are valid beats tab Nexus 10 by almost 90%.

Tab 3 will have 1280 x 800 display, and a Plus version with the same resolution as the Nexus 10 on 2560 x 1, 600

This tab 3 uses Intel's Clover Trail Atomic Z2560. This Atom chip is at least in the same ballpark as Cortex A15 based processors in performance and battery life.

What do these benchmarks as more interesting is the Atomic Z2560 is a chip with an obsolete architecture obsolete 32nm lithography transistors.

Later this year Intel will release new atom processors with the recently announced, built from the ground up, all the new mobile architecture with many new performance and battery life features. New atoms will use Intel's new year old FinFET 22nm lithography.

It is expected that an Atom is running at maximum clock speed will exceed Z2560 by about 500%.

An Atom that runs at a lower clock rate, makes a performance level equal to Z2560, will use 300% less power.

Tablets with new Intel Atom should be on the shelves in time for Christmas.

Things in the Tablet market should get very interesting.

Intel shows great promise to have the ability to dominate the Tablet market over the ARM.

Motorola uses the Z2580 Atom in their Razr. When they start with the all new Atom, we can then have a better idea how Intel is well positioned on the mobile market. The mobile market is much different than the tablet on circuits for cellular radio and sensors (GPS, accelerometer, etc.).