Intel is Launching Sixth-generation Core M processors to Smartphones

#Intel is yet to gain a major foothold in the smartphone market but the processor giant is persistent. According to Kirk Skagen, Intel’s General Manager, the company is looking to bring its latest sixth-generation Core M processors to smartphones.

More specifically, the Core M range is being testing for use with “phablet” phones. Presumably the company is looking to bridge the gap between high-end tablet performance and a small mobile form factor.

Intel’s Core M series of processors are all designed to fit within a TDP of 4.5 watts and are built on a small 14nm manufacturing process. Previously, Intel had suggested that the chip would find a home in 2-in-1 hybrids, notebooks and tablets.

At the IFA 2015 conference in Berlin, Intel's General Manager Kirk Skagen revealed that the fabled chipmaker is testing its sixth-generation Core family chips (based on the Skylake architecture) in smartphones. The promising bit of news comes related to the official launch of Intel's 6th-gen Core family, which encompasses Core M, i3, i5, and i7 chips.

Unfortunately, Intel did not reveal details about smartphone-ready Core M chips. Theoretically, they could enable processing power comparable to lower range Core M laptops and hybrid devices, but this doesn't mean your Android smartphone will become an Android laptop replacement.

The current range comprises of dual-core CPU set-ups with hyper threading and Intel’s latest HD 5XXX graphics series. However, without an integrated modem and a relatively high cost per chip, Intel may still struggle to compete with other mobile SoC manufacturers. Not to mention that it is currently unclear how such a chip will perform in a very small smartphone form factor, where cooling technology is virtually non-existent.

Furthermore, Intel has previously stated that it is looking to optimize its Core M range for use with Windows 10, so we may not see an Android implementation any time soon. That being said, the prospect of desktop-class performance in a smartphone is pretty compelling. Let’s see if Intel can pull it off.