Intel is to abandon its attempts to enter the mobile processor market, to instead focus on the cloud, IoT, memory/programmable solutions, 5G and Moore’s Law, according to CEO Brian Krzanich.
Mobile system on chips (SoC) for smartphones and tablets are to be discontinued, Krzanich said in a blog post (http://tinyurl.com/ha236da). This means the end of the Atom chip line, as well as other products such the SoFIA, Broxton and Cherry Trail families.
Specifically trying to narrow the focus of Intel’s IoT effort, Krzanich clarified that the firm will concentrate on autonomous vehicles, industrial and retail. Interestingly, considering the announcement above, he continues, “we view our core Client business of PCs and mobile as among the many variations of connected things”. He also writes that Moore’s Law is “alive and well.”
Analyst Comment
Intel will not completely distance itself from the mobile market – it still has a suite of modem technologies. Analysts such as Patrick Moorehead (MI&S) and Will Strauss (Forward Concepts), speaking to EE Times, have said that they expect the firm to continue to develop its modem products.
The firm has been attempting to break Qualcomm’s strong grip on the mobile market for years, since entering it – for the second time – in 2010. The Atom range was launched in 2013, and the company had its highest-profile smartphone launch at MWC 2015: the Asus Zenfone 2. However, there were other versions of the phone without Intel chips, a trend that has been seen on multiple other devices. (TA)
