Intel has revealed plans to launch a line of 22nm chips aimed at smartphones in 2013. The new processors will be successors to the Intel Atom 32nm Medfield chips that we’re starting to see this year.

Intel smartphone roadmap

Details about the new processors are kind of scare, but the folks at SemiAccurate snagged a product slide which shows that there will be at least two chips: a “higher performance” model and a “lower cost” version.

The pricier chip is code-named Merrifield and it will likely be a multi-core processor with a Intel XMM 7260 radio.

The cheaper processor is the Intel Atom 6331 and we know even less about that processor.

Intel is also planning to move to 14nm chips for smartphones in 2014.

Basically every time you move to a smaller chip design process you can fit more transistors into a smaller area. The upshot is that you end up with more efficient chips which can often offer better performance while consuming less power.

Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors for desktop and notebook computers are already based on a 22nm process. But we won’t see the company’s smartphone chips hit that milestone until next year.

Nanometers aren’t the only thing that matters though — some of the most powerful ARM-based chips on the market today are 40nm and 45nm chips. But they still tend to use less power than most Intel mobile processors.

via Netbook News

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One reply on “Intel 22nm smartphone chips coming in 2013”

  1. Yes, but what’s called powerful on ARM has only recently even rivaled Intel’s low end ATOMs.  While even a low end Core i-Series Intel CPU is still multiple times more powerful.

    The thing to remember with the 22nm update for the ATOM is they’re not just doing another die shrink but introducing new technology like Intel’s Tri-Gate and the Silvermont version of the update at least will also get a architectural update as well.

    All ATOM’s will be going SoC/MCM with the 22nm update, the higher end ones will be getting a new GMA based on Ivy Bridge’s HD 4000, they’re getting rid of In Order Processing and moving to Out Of Order Processing, among many other changes.

    While Intel has stated they’ll be advancing the ATOM at faster than Moore’s Law for at least the next two years.

    So the update stands to be significant, especially since the ATOM has been held back for about 5 years and so the update stands to be more significant than usually can be expected.

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