Report: Intel readies smartphone chip, design for ZTE

Intel has designed a smartphone based around its Atom chip that could be made by Chinese vendor ZTE, according to a Bloomberg report, which cited unnamed sources. The report said the phone might go on sale in China, but did not say when. 

Intel has been pushing its chipset for smartphones, called Medfield, but has yet to score any design wins. The company has said its Medfield chip will ship in smartphones later this year, and its Atom-based chipset for tablets, dubbed Oak Trail, also will ship in products this year. Intel has been trying to battle against chip vendors using architecture from ARM Holdings, which has a tight grip on the smartphone and tablet markets.

Claudine Mangano, a spokeswoman for Intel, declined to comment on any potential partnership with ZTE. "In terms of the overall market, we recognize that we have some work to do, but we're patient and we're committed to the business," Mangano told Bloomberg. "We have the right elements to be successful. We are working on a number of engagements, but are not ready to talk about them."

ZTE, for its part, said that it has held talks with Intel, but had nothing more to discuss, according to Bloomberg. ZTE was the world's fourth-largest handset maker in the world in the fourth quarter, according to research firm IDC.

Meanwhile, Intel said it is now shipping its Oak Trail chip to Lenovo, Fujitsu and others. Intel also hinted at its next generation of tablet chips, dubbed "Cloverview."  

For more:
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this IDG News Service article
- see this CNet article

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