Apple is all set to overtake Intel as the leading retailer of mobile processors used in variety of computers and portable devices. These devices cover a whole range of laptops, smartphones and gadgets. These findings are the result of a study conducted by NPD In-Stat. The report which is scheduled for release on the 27th of March defines mobile processors as an array of processors which are implemented in CE mobile devices, better known as central processing units.
The current processor architecture is dominated by ARM, reflected by its 73% market share, and is still on the rise. Intel’s chips are still the dominant processors in the notebook and PC market. However, the research rightly points out that notebooks represent only a part of the processor (mobile) market. A majority of the tablets and smartphones in the market today are powered by ARM processors. This has made it difficult for x86 vendors like Intel and AMD to compete with ARM processors that power mobile electronics.
Intel however has decided to up the ante by announcing a renewed push into the development of chipsets for handheld devices. Intel is planning to build a next generation Atom SoC (System-on-Chip), which is codenamed Medfield. Medfield is compatible with Google’s Android Operating System which obviously makes it a preferred choice over its predecessors. Intel is striving to make the new generation of Atom processors even more power efficient in order to compete with the ultra low power ARM chips that power most handheld devices. Till date this level of power efficiency hasn’t been achieved by any x86 chipset vendors.
Despite efforts to speed up the process, Medfield devices aren’t expected to release in the near future. The first device expected to employ this new chipset is Lenovo’s K800 which is scheduled to release in the next three months. This release will be followed by a Motorola gadget, which is expected in the latter half of the current fiscal year. The miniscule number of gadgets that will employ this new technology hence ensures Apple’s and ARM’s victory in the current fiscal year.
NPD’s findings further revealed 43% growth for the mobile processor market last year. The report also clarifies that no major changes (described as a state of consolidation) can be expected in the next three or four years, hence forecasting yearly growth at 22% by the end of the 2016.
