ARM chief executive not worried by Intel

class=’ ‘>ARM chief executive not worried by Intel

Paul Briden

ARM isn’t concerned by Intel’s bid for the mobile processing space according to the company’s CEO

Published on May 22, 2012

ARM’s chief executive (CEO), Warren East, isn’t too fussed about Intel moving in on the mobile market according to an interview with Dow Jones.

Intel’s mobile Atom architecture recently debuted in a handset launched in India, the Xolo X900. While initial reviews, benchmarks and the like indicate it’s a fairly competitive device, East seems to think Intel will find it slow going entering into the market.

In an interview, ARM’s chief said he expects that Intel will have between 5 and 10 per cent of the mobile processor market by 2015 and that most manufacturers will carry on using ARM’s Cortex hardware which is currently dominant.

He also notes that there will be something of an exchange in relative market share as he predicts ARM, which is attempting to move in on Intel’s laptop territory, will take between 10 and 20 per cent of that market in the same timespan.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the CEO of a company is taking the ‘our product is best’ stance, it’s understandable, but even more so when you consider just how dominant ARM is in the mobile space. Most devices we can think of off the top of our heads use ARM’s hardware.

But is he underestimating Intel? Quite possibly. The company has a wealth of experience and resources from its dominance of other processor markets. What’s more, it is sounding like the Atom Medfield ‘Penwell’ found in the Xolo X900 is a viable alternative to current models.

SemiAccurate’s Charlie Demerjian said of the handset: ‘the Xolo X900 is near the top of the heap for modern phones, ahead of the ARM A9 based competition, but looking a little anemic when compared to the imminent crop of A15 based phones that are in the process of launching.’

So ARM’s next-gen hardware is currently in the lead, but Intel is no doubt cooking up something else and it’ll be very interesting to see exactly what it’ll be.

In the meantime, we’re yet to see an Intel powered handset in UK stores but there is one on the way in the form of the Orange Santa Clara. 

knowyourmobile.com