First Intel-Based Smartphone Set To Land In India

The first Intel-powered smartphone will be released in India on 23 April.

The XOLO X900, manufactured by Lava, will be priced at around 22,000 Indian Rupees (£262) and is the product of a partnership first announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February.

Up and Atom

The smartphone is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor Z2460, promising speed and multitasking ability complemented by a GPU that promises a range of entertainment options and a 4.02-inch LCD screen capable of displaying full 1080p high-definition video. An eight megapixel camera allows 10 photos to be captured in one second and HSPA+ and 3G connectivity options are included.

Battery life allows for five hours of browsing over a 3G connection, 45 hours of audio playback and eight hours of talk time. The phone ships with Android version 2.3 Gingerbread with an over-the-air upgrade for 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich promised for a later, unspecified, date.

“The first smartphone with Intel inside is now available to Indian consumers,” said Mike Bell, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the mobile and communications group. “The boundaries of personal computing are expanding. As we enter the India market with our first smartphone from Lava, the device not only showcases the rich capabilities and user benefits of Intel computing, but also highlights the exciting possibilities of what’s still to come.”

The announcement, which was widely expected, is evidence of the importance that Intel is placing on the smartphone market, having already announced deals with Motorola and Lenovo to build smartphones based on its processors and with UK operator Orange. It has even been suggested that the chip manufacturer could be ready to release devices under its own name in a similar fashion to Google with its Nexus range of smartphones.

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