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Intel execs predict Bay Trail touch-enabled laptops for $200 - $300 by the holidays
On the earnings call after Intel released its Q1 numbers, its executives faced many questions from analysts, including some asking what to expect from the company in Q4. According to CEO Paul Otellini and CFO / EVP Stacy Smith, among the reasons for investors to be optimistic are the prospects of cheaper touch screen computers powered by its upcoming Bay Trail (quad-core Atom) and Haswell processors. Just how cheap you ask? According to Otellini, as transcribed by SeekingAlpha: We have a certain spec for ultrabooks, and that is the product that Stacy said is going to be centered at as low as $599 with some [diverse] SKUs to $499. If you look at touch-enabled Intel based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-core processors, those prices are going to be down to as low as $200 probably. We'd put more weight in those figures if they were price tags attached to products or at least from the OEMs that will build them, but at least there's a target. Whatever happens, there's sure to be a flood of new ultrabooks, tablets, convertibles and detachables hitting the streets later this year, and if the price is right (along with some Windows 8 tweaks) maybe they'll be worth the wait.
ZTE Geek unveiled with 2GHz Intel Clover Trail+ and a terrible name (video)
Oh ZTE you cheeky monkey. Towards the end of day one at IDF in Beijing, we stumbled upon this awkwardly titled Android Jelly Bean phone that is the Geek at ZTE's booth. Needless to say, this is yet another phone powered by an Intel processor -- a 2GHz Clover Trail+ Atom to be exact, which is what Lenovo's K900 also has. The rest of the device isn't too shabby, either: you get a nice 5-inch 720p display with Gorilla Glass, along with an 8-megapixel main camera, a 1-megapixel front-facing camera, 8GB of storage space, 1GB of RAM, 2,300mAh battery and wireless charging. Radio-wise we see UMTS 900/2100 courtesy of Intel's XMM 6260 chip, and there's also the usual lot of 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and GPS. Design-wise the Geek takes a huge step away from the Grand X IN and shares a similarly clean look with the Grand S, but without the black eye around the main camera. This particular unit had a glossy white finish as well, but we'd prefer a matte finish for a more premium feel. Since ZTE admitted that it had to rush this prototype for exhibition at IDF, we'll come back to the build quality once we see a final retail unit. Until then, check out our hands-on video and the press release after the break. %Gallery-185196%
Intel introduces next-gen Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for enterprise space
Truth be told, not much has been announced on the consumer end at IDF Beijing earlier today, but Intel did tease us with upcoming refreshes of its Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for the enterprise space. In chronological order we have the Haswell-based E3 with TDP as low as 13W, and it's coming in mid-2013. This is followed by the "Ivy Bridge-EP" E5 in Q3 and then the "Ivy Bridge-EX" E7 series in Q4, the latter of which boasting three times the memory capacity of its predecessor, along with Intel's Run Sure reliability feature. More details in the press release after the break if you're into these flavors of chips. Also mentioned at the keynote were the now-available Atom S12x9 family for storage systems, as well as a couple of upcoming 22nm 64-bit Atom SoCs codenamed "Avoton" and "Rangeley," both of which are sampling now and are expected to launch in the second half of this year. We've actually already heard of the microserver-friendly Avoton from Facebook's Open Compute Project, whereas Rangeley for network infrastructures was also detailed around the same time; so again, hit up the press release for more details. %Gallery-185168%
Intel launches Media Server Reference Design to speed up set-top box creation
It's no secret that Intel wants more of a presence in the living room, even if it's sometimes less than welcome. The chip giant's new Media Server Reference Design might be key to getting that foot in at least a few doors. The kit combines both Atom CE5300-based hardware with software tools, the combination of which should fast-track media hubs and set-top boxes for those who don't want to start from scratch. It's more than just the expected media and TV engines; Intel also bundles in Hillcrest Labs' Freespace engine to simplify motion remote control. MSRD kits should be available in April, although it's likely to be months later before we learn whether or not home theater companies want to follow where Intel takes them.
Xolo X1000 reaches India, mates a 2GHz Atom with a 4.7-inch screen for $369
For all the credit the Xolo X900 earned as the first Intel-based smartphone, it grew long in the tooth very quickly between that 4-inch screen and 1.6GHz Atom chip. The solution, naturally, is a straight-up modernization like the X1000. The new smartphone jumps to a more contemporary 4.7-inch, 720p LCD and the same 2GHz Atom Z2480 that we saw in the RAZR i. Most other components won't rock the boat for those who bought in last year, though. There's still the familiar high-speed 8-megapixel rear camera as well as a 1.3-megapixel camera at the front, 1GB of RAM, 21Mbps HSPA+ 3G and 8GB of expandable storage. The X1000 is even using Ice Cream Sandwich instead of some flavor of Jelly Bean. Still, the price is right -- a contract-free 19,999 rupees ($369) for the Indian debut could have at least a few customers willing to bring some Intel Inside.
Intel launches Atom CE5300-based storage platform with multiple streams, smart scaling
There's been more than a few Atom-based storage servers. Most of them either have to lean on the same Atom processors you'd usually get with nettops, though, which makes them less than ideal for media tasks than a chip dedicated to the job. Intel has just launched a new platform that might be a better fit for home network storage. New NAS arrays from Asustor, Synology, Thecus and others (none yet pictured here) all revolve around a dual-core Atom CE5300 system-on-chip that's better-optimized for media processing duties: it can stream video across the network to multiple devices at once, and can automatically downscale video to accommodate smaller screens. The small chip contributes to a relatively small price at the same time, with NAS boxes starting around $299. Not everyone can suddenly justify a dedicated media server in the home just because the CE5300 is an option, but those that do may at least get more for their money.
ASUS FonePad official: 7-inch tablet with phone functionality, priced at $249 (hands-on)
We already knew ASUS was prepping a product called the FonePad, a 7-inch tablet with built-in phone functionality (yes, just like the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0). Well, ASUS just formally unveiled it here at Mobile World Congress, which means we've got a few more details to share than we did previously. First off, the speculation about its specs was all true: this does indeed have an Intel processor -- a 1.2GHz Atom Z2420, to be exact -- along with 1GB of RAM, a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and an HSPA+ radio. What's more, the 4,270mAh battery is said to get up to nine hours of runtime, which would put this in the same league as other Atom tablets we've tested recently. In terms of hardware features, the FonePad has a smooth metal back (available in gray and gold), making it drastically different in appearance from the similarly sized Nexus 7. 'Round back you'll find a panel where all the usual antennae are, and hidden underneath are both the micro-SIM slot and the microSD reader. That microSD slot, by the way, supports 32GB cards, which should come in handy considering this has just 16GB of built-in storage. Additionally, the tablet has a 1.2-megapixel front camera, attached to a 7-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display. The FonePad will be available in Europe for £179 / €219. Here at MWC, ASUS also confirmed a US dollar price of $249, though we had heard rumblings it wouldn't actually be sold there. It arrives in March, but the specific on-sale date hasn't been revealed yet. We're hoping to test one ourselves soon enough, but until then, stay tuned for the usual round of hands-on shots. Update: Our hands-on photos and video are in! Enjoy!
Intel launches dual-core Clover Trail+ mobile Atom processors
Intel teased a dual-core Clover Trail+ earlier this year at CES 2013, and now it's revealed the rest of the story on the new Atom-based mobile processors at MWC 2013 in Barcelona. While based on the same 32nm architecture of the previous Medfield generation, the new Z2580, Z2560 and Z2520 chips will pack dual 2.0GHz, 1.6GHz and 1.2Ghz CPU cores, respectively, along with two PowerVR SGX 544 GPU cores. That should make the new chip a lot more competitive than the previous generation, performance-wise, though battery life may suffer next to 28nm chips from the likes of Qualcomm. Still, Intel says that the new chips will burn less juice at idle than Medfield, meaning cell life could vary widely depending on usage. On the radio side, Intel's at last bringing support for 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ along with 11.5 Mbps HSUPA cat 7 with its XMM 6360 silicon, but there'll still be no multimode (on-chip) LTE support for now. However, it also launched its new XMM 7160 radio as a separate chip, supporting 15 LTE bands along with HSPA+ and saying that it'll appear on its upcoming 22nm SoC chips -- which the company said were on track to arrive by the end of the year. Finally, Intel flaunted a new Clover Trail+ reference design, featuring a Z2580 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a max 256GB(!) of NAND, WUXGA support (1,920 x 1,200) and a rear 16-megapixel camera. Hopefully, there'll be a large battery to go along with all that -- check the PR after the break for more.
QNAP adds NAS lines with XBMC support, skips the home theater middleman
High-rolling (or just highly nerdy) home theater PC setups often have network-attached storage to hold the reams of video that invariably won't fit on the PC itself. QNAP wonders why we don't just cut to the chase -- both of its TS-x69L and TS-x69 Pro entries in the Turbo NAS range support XBMC's home theater software out of the gate, letting either NAS serve as the front-end as long as they're hooked up through HDMI. They won't be the most powerful when they're powered by dual-core, 2.13GHz Atom chips; that might be forgiven when there's space for as many as eight hard drives shareable across the entire home. The lineups start at $479 for empty two-bay editions and scale up to $1,099 for eight. Not cheap, we know, but they may be relative bargains for any movie-watchers looking to simplify the living room.
ASUS FonePad reaches certification, may meld an Atom tablet with Android
No, not PadFone. FonePad. According to Indonesia's wireless regulator Postel, ASUS is trying to certify a FonePad K004 tablet that would switch up device names, not to mention create its fair share of mix-ups. But what is it? Based on that K004 codename and a match with a Thai retailer's listing, Notebook Italia believes it's none other than the recently leaked ME371MG, an Atom Z2420-based, 7-inch tablet that would run Jelly Bean. It might also carry 3G and justify its name through built-in phone functionality. We're skeptical when the specs aren't confirmed, and don't entirely line up -- there's just 8GB of space in the retail entry versus the originally claimed 16GB, as an example. If there's any fuel to the fire, however, the new round of MeMo Pads will eventually have some Intel-powered (if confusingly-named) company.
Acer intros Liquid C1 smartphone packing Intel Lexington, low price to match
Remember that unnamed Acer phone we caught skulking about Intel's CES event? It's been given a proper launch: meet the Liquid C1. True to form, the fully revealed device centers around a Lexington-based, 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 processor. The chip gives the C1 enough grunt to power an 8-megapixel camera with burst shooting while keeping the price in check, at about 9,990 baht ($335) off-contract for the inaugural Thailand release in February. Locals will otherwise get a solid Android 4.0 smartphone with a 4.3-inch display, HSPA+ 3G and a battery that lasts for nine hours of 3G talk. Other countries in southeast Asia are next on the list to get Acer's turn at an Intel-powered handset, although we wouldn't expect to see it everywhere -- Intel's Uday Marty warns ZDNet that the absence of LTE will keep phones like the C1 away from markets where the faster data is commonplace.
Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more
As much as it's important to have every component of a PC stuck together in a laptop, that same monolithic strategy is a major liability for server clusters: if one part breaks or grows obsolete, it can drag down everything else. Facebook and its Open Compute Project partners have just unveiled plans to loosen things up at the datacenter. A prototype, Atom-based rackmount server from Quanta Computer uses 100Gbps silicon photonics from Intel to connect parts at full speed, anywhere on the rack. Facebook has also garnered support for a new system-on-chip connection standard, rather affectionately named Group Hug, that would let owners swap in new mini systems from any vendor through PCI Express cards. The combined effect doesn't just simplify repairs and upgrades -- it lets companies build the exact servers they need without having to scrap other crucial elements in the process. There's no definite timeframe for when we'll see modular servers put to work, but the hope is that a cluster's foundations will stay relevant for years instead of months.
Dell Latitude 10 essentials trim pushes pro Windows 8 tablets down to $499 (video)
Dell's Latitude 10 earns some noteworthiness as an early work-oriented Windows 8 tablet, but it isn't what we'd call cheap with a $650 base price. The crew in Round Rock is mending that with a new essentials level that scales things back. It sheds the active digitizer and removable battery in the name of a lower $579 price for a 64GB version that's available to order today. Price-sensitive slate shoppers can go one step further in the near future: Dell is promising a properly frugal 32GB version for $499 that should ship in the months ahead. There's still a stiff fight ahead when Windows RT tablets already undercut the Latitude, but the essentials tiers could be low-hanging fruit for pros and students still hanging on to legacy apps. Check out our hands-on with the slate past the break. %Gallery-175581%
The Daily Roundup for 01.08.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
An early look at Intel's 'Lexington' platform: Atom, tailored for emerging markets (update: video)
Good morning, kids! We're here at Intel's CES booth, where the company is showing off a low-end reference smartphone running the Atom Z2420 processor, which is part of the new "Lexington" family of chips tailored for emerging markets. We learned yesterday that three manufactures are on board, with Acer being the biggest name. Curiously, though, the handset we just found is completely unmarked, and Intel won't say who makes it. It also won't share any specs other than the processor, though we already know what the platform is capable of: up to 1.2GHz of clock speed, 1080p video at 30 fps, HSPA+ connectivity and, support for dual 5MP / 1.3MP cameras. Whatever this phone is, it won't do more than that. Still, despite not knowing much, we wanted to give you a look at this device anyway because we thought it would be a good opportunity to give you some early impressions of the performance. Head past the break to see what we found.
Intel teases Clover Trail+ with the Atom Z2580
Intel's not saying too much about it yet, but it just announced the Atom Z2580 at its CES 2013 live event, the first processor of the upcoming Clover Trail+ family. Details are scarce at this point, but the chip-maker said it would enhance the current Clover Trail family with better performance and battery life. We should have more skinny on it soon, but anything that can keep our Atom-powered Windows tablets and devices kicking along for longer than they do now has got to be a good thing. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Intel introduces 'Bay Trail,' a quad-core Atom-based processor for tablets
Intel's just introduced a brand new quad-core Atom-based processor specifically meant for tablets, codenamed "Bay Trail." As you can see in the slide above, it's a 22nm chip that promises double the performance of current-gen 32nm Atoms. It'll be available in tablets starting in holiday 2013. Details are light at the moment, but we expect we'll see Bay Trail show up in a variety of tablets across the coming year -- products that we're told will be as thin as 8mm while still offering "all-day" battery life and "weeks of standby." Leaks from earlier this year actually offered more detail about Bay Trail than Intel did this afternoon, pointing at clock speeds of up at 2.4GHz and a version of Chipzilla's own integrated graphics instead of PowerVR (see More Coverage). A press release from Intel following the event also detailed some increased security settings in Bay Trail without going into specifics. Keep one eye on our continuing CES 2013 coverage to see what comes of Bay Trail this week, if anything, and another on our liveblog for Intel's news as it hits live. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 goes on sale, may arrive in January
Lenovo's ThinkPad Tablet 2 has been an elusive beast. We heard about pricing in October with promises that it would arrive the same month, but it was held back at the last moment with few progress updates since. Patience, it turns out, is a virtue: the Windows 8 tablet has returned, ready for sale. The promised $649 starting price offers a 64GB WiFi version; spending $30 more adds a pen input and digitizer screen for frequent note-takers, while a $729 version loads Windows 8 Pro for the corporate crowd. No one's likely to put it on their last-minute gift shopping list, though. Lenovo estimates a delivery date of January 7th, which won't be much consolation to recipients short of an IOU. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel's Penwell mobile processor given a close inspection, stuffs a lot into a little space
If you're one of those who took the leap into a first wave of Intel-based smartphones like the RAZR i, you're likely the sort to wonder exactly what makes them tick. SemiAccurate certainly does: it just posted some previously inaccessible diagrams that help reveal how Medfield's system-on-a-chip heart, Penwell, is mapped out. As a die shot shows, the Atom core is seemingly the least important part of the design -- the PowerVR SGX 540 graphics, camera processing and input-output interfaces dominate the crowded silicon. Between this dense, all-in-one design and stacking up to 2GB of RAM directly on top, Penwell occupies about 17 percent less space than its Moorestown ancestor and helps explain why we're looking at Atom-powered phones instead of another round of MIDs. We wouldn't get too comfortable with the current generation, though, as Intel is gradually warming up 22-nanometer chips that could make Penwell seem old hat.
Intel's Atom S1200 lays claim to title of world's first 6-watt server-class processor
We often hear talk about the most powerful servers and supercomputers, but the most power-efficient are just as important. On that latter front, Intel has today announced what it claims is the world's first 6-watt server-class processor, the Atom S1200. That's a 64-bit system-on-a-chip designed for use in data centers, and it comes in three variants ranging from 1.6GHz to 2.0GHz, each of which support up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, eight lanes of PCI Express 2.0, and all the basic features an x86-based data center requires. Not surprisingly, going the Atom route also entails a relatively low up-front cost, with the processors starting at just $54 in quantities of 1,000. And Intel is naturally promising even bigger advances in energy efficieny for the future, including a "leap further ahead" in 2014 when it moves to 14nm manufacturing for low-power Xeon processors, and Atoms after that.
