Intel CEO Unveils x86 Moorestown Smartphone

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With all the hubbub surrounding its new app store, the fact that Intel is showing off the first phone based on its Moorestown platform went largely unnoticed.

Shown off by CEO Paul Otellini, the LG-manufactured GW990 is more of an MID or 'superphone' than it is a smartphone. Packing a 5-inch screen with 720p HD video playback, two cameras (one forward facing and one traditionally placed on the back of the device) the device runs on the Linux-based Moblin OS.

Describing the Moorestown platform, Otellini said, "It's smaller, faster and better than anything we've done before." Based on the x86 architecture, Moorestown is set to launch this year.

"Two years ago I showed a suite of futuristic, compute-intensive applications for handheld devices," Otellini said. "The computing was really done on a desktop PC behind the curtain because handhelds didn't have the processing capability yet. Two years later, the future is here."

While details about the phone are scant, Otellini says it will ship in the second half of 2010. The introduction of Intel chips to mobile phones comes as Atom chips begin to see some serious competition in the netbook space.

More on CES 2010

Jane McEntegart
31 Comments Comment from the forums
  • sunflier
    ...two cameras (one forward facing and one traditionally placed on the back of the device)...
    Does that mean we can take two pictures at the same time??
    j/k...or am i?
    Reply
  • Gian124
    likely the forward facing cam is for video conferencing, skype / IM programs, etc... since it is described more as a MID than a phone.
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    Nice picture of Otellini, shame about no picture of the actual phone

    I did find some already elsewhere but its a bit rude posting a link to a rival tech website
    Reply
  • lifelesspoet
    X86 main advantage is compatibility with windows. It is 2010, do we really need legacy instruction sets from the 1970's in our modern devices running linux?
    Reply
  • ionut19
    "the LG-manufactured" -LG don't usually make durable phones. At list from what i have seen. I mean most of the models.
    Reply
  • Honis
    back_by_demandNice picture of Otellini, shame about no picture of the actual phoneI did find some already elsewhere but its a bit rude posting a link to a rival tech websiteNot really considering most articles here are "So-and-So reports..."

    It's just as powerful as a NVidia Tegra (based on spec capabilities listed in this article). With NVidia coming with the Tegra 2, will it keep up?
    Reply
  • "Intel chips to mobile phones comes as Atom chips begin to see some serious competition in the netbook space"

    Yea, not really. Are there other options, yes... is anyone buying them... no.
    Reply
  • bison88
    So when are we going to start seeing 1Ghz Ti-109 calculators with 512MB flash memory? It's not fair phones get all the glory I want a super computer in my math class in the palm of my hand :D
    Reply
  • mlopinto2k1
    sunflierDoes that mean we can take two pictures at the same time??j/k...or am i?Actually I think that would be pretty damn cool. Or how about live video? So you can see what's behind you? :o)
    Reply
  • Will it play Crysis?
    Reply