Unnamed sources have confirmed with Reuters that Samsung has decided to use Intel's 32 nm "Clover Trail+" Atom mobile chip for at least one version of its Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. The company is also reportedly unveiling new ATIV tablets using Intel chips at a June 20 event in London. Currently it's unknown if the Clover Trail-based Galaxy Tab 3 will be showcased at the same event.
Reuters reports that it's currently unclear if South Korea-based Samsung plans to use Intel chips in other versions of the 10-inch Galaxy Tab, or if the company plans to use its own Exynos 5 chip. Both Intel and Samsung declined to comment on the report, Reuters said.
Intel introduced its line of Clover Trail Atom chips last fall, reporting that they are targeted at low-powered Windows 8 hybrid devices, or rather form factors that serve both as tablets and laptops. However the Clover Trail-powered Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 will be playing host to Android instead, a trend that seems to be increasing in the second half of 2013.
PCWorld reports that last week two benchmarking sites posted test results of a Samsung tablet sporting an Intel Clover Trail chip and Android 4.2.2. This tablet was designated as the Santos 103 and with the product number GT-P5200. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 was dubbed as the GT-P5100 before it was released.
According to the report, both benchmarking sites revealed that the tablet will have a 1280 x 800 resolution, and an Intel SoC running in the 800 MHz to 1.6 GHz range, which is within the specs of Intel's Atom Z2560 chip. This SoC, along with the Z2580 and Z2520, is optimized for Android, and Intel has developed new firmware, drivers and middleware to enhance Android power management and security.
"The processors include the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator for compelling and realistic 3D gaming experiences, 1080p HD video, and crystal-clear graphics. WUXGA 1920x1200 display support is ideal for the larger screens of tablets," Intel states (PDF).
This deal with Samsung should be welcome news for Intel who is struggling to enter smartphone and tablet markets that have adapted to ARM low-power systems. Even more, Intel is facing ARM in the server market as enterprises are looking for a greener future that will cut by using low-power, high performance solutions. However for now, Intel will have the upper hand in servers and data centers.
"With Atom, you don't have to change your existing infrastructure, your code, your software vendors and your middleware vendors," said Cody Acree, director of research at Williams Financial. "You can just use Intel and continue with your existing architecture."
