Intel unveils smartphone processors
By Tallulah Habib
Intel has revealed next generation Atom processors "first and foremost" designed for smartphones and tablets.

For the past eight years or so, Atom has been attempting to break into the smartphone market, but have been thwarted by the fact that their chips ran too hot and used too much power. Now things may have changed with the Atom Z6 (‘Moorestown’) processor, which is small, light and energy-efficient.

The single core processor is capable of running between 1.2GHz and 1.9GHz with processing elements separated to handle different tasks so that areas not in use can be turned off.

"We've reduced the power so we are competitive in the smartphone space," Pankaj Kedia, Intel's head of handhelds, told the BBC. "We're in the zone."

Intel promises the processor will provide ten days of standby power, 48 hours of audio playback, five hours of 720p video or six hours of 3G/call time.

The Z6 will also be used in tablets and other mobile handheld products, according to the company.