New Intel chip to boost performance, efficiency

Dubai: Intel will launch the first batch of Ivy Bridge processors, the world's first 22 nanometre (nm) chip, aimed at desktop computers and higher-end laptops in the region in the middle of the year, a top company official said.

"We think Intel is well-positioned to capitalise on the demand and our strategy is to lead across the three pillars of computing, which are energy efficient performance, internet connectivity and security; these areas are becoming increasingly important. And to achieve these goals we believe we are armed with the best product line-up," Samir Al Schamma, Intel's general manager, Middle East and North Africa, told Gulf News.

Greater performance

He said the new chip offers greater performance and power efficiency than Sandy Bridge processors.

To make things more interesting, Intel brands them as Core i7 and Core i5 chips.

"The new chip is tied into the upcoming wave of hardware optimised for Windows 8 for touch features and delivers exceptional performance with reduced energy use — giving longer mobile device battery life," he said.

Al Schamma said there is a plethora of computing devices that people use to connect to the internet, including smartphones, PCs and tablets, adding that he did not believe there would be one device that fits the all the needs a user would look for. He said most people will use different devices for different needs at different points in their lives.

According to Daniel Ashdown, research analyst at Juniper Research, shipments of tablets, ultrabooks and other notebooks will more than double over the next five years.

Combined shipments

Driving this growth will be tablets and devices from Intel's new ultrabook category, with combined shipments of these devices making up 73 per cent of the total market by that time.

He said ultrabook shipments will reach 178 million by 2016 — growing at three times the rate of tablets. However, tablet shipments will still be higher, reaching 253 million annually.

Ultrabooks and tablets are where Intel and ARM's supporters are really going to be fighting for turf. Intel made a breakthrough into the phone world dominated by chips based on ARM by launching the first smartphone in India.

The new phone has a single-core 32nm Atom processor. He said the roadmap for Intel smartphones for the region is not fixed due to certain issues.

Asked about Intel's ability to appeal to smartphone market leaders Apple and Samsung with x86-based chips, Al Schamma said the sheer size of the market worked best to Intel's advantage, rather than any ties it has to a particular device maker.