Intel and LG aim for the Smartphone Market with Moorestown MID

Highlighting Intel’s ultimate goal for Atom, the growing importance of a high-speed web experience on a smartphone and possibly Intel’s concern about the speed of development of ARM-based smartphones is this Mobile World Congress announcement that LG and Intel are going to work together on a voice-enabled MID. The first smartphone to be based on what is effectively a PC architecture is expected in 2010.

No details of the device are available at the moment but you can be sure that LG will already have prototype designs built around the Atom core (on the Lincroft ‘system on chip’) and the Langwell I/O hub. Expect a high-end, big-screen design that, like the recently announced Toshibe LG01, could redefine the size and capability of those leading edge voice communicators called smartphones!

The announcement also re-confirms timescales for Moorestown and Moblin2 for MIDs and LG is expected to be one of the first OEMs out of the door with Moorestown in 2010.

Press release:

LG Electronics, Intel Collaborate on Future Mobile Internet Devices

– LG’s Focus on Data and Voice Devices Complements Existing Strong Relationship

Around Notebooks and Netbooks –

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, Barcelona, Spain Feb. 16, 2009 LG Electronics (LG) and Intel Corporation today announced a collaboration around mobile Internet devices (MIDs) based on Intel’s next-generation MID hardware platform, codenamed “Moorestown, inch and Linux-based Moblin v2.0 software platform. The LG device is expected to be one of the first Moorestown designs to market.

LG and Intel’s common goal is to unleash rich Internet experiences across a range of mobile devices while delivering the functionality of today’s high-end smart phones. The collaboration on the new design extends a close working relationship the two companies have enjoyed across their respective mobile product lines, which now spans the notebook, netbook and MID categories.

“The MID segment will drive growth at LG Electronics. We chose Intel’s next-generation Moorestown platform and Moblin-based OS to pursue this segment because of the high performance and Internet compatibility this brings to our service provider customers, inch said Jung Jun Lee, executive vice president of LG Electronics and head of its Mobile Communications Business Division. “The collaboration with Intel on the MID platform has been valuable and further extends our longstanding relationship. Our efforts are well on track and we look forward to bringing the MID to market. inch

LG launched a netbook, based on the Intel® Atomâ„¢ processor, in the fourth quarter of 2008, and has been supplying the mobile companion device to carriers and retailers worldwide. LG also continues to ship notebooks based on the Intel® Coreâ„¢ processor. 

MIDs represent an emerging growth category in the industry and are designed to bring a rich, interactive, PC-like Internet experience in pocketable devices. The experience on a MID will help usher in the many new Internet trends performed predominantly on a PC to mobile devices.

“Moorestown inch is the codename for Intel’s second-generation MID platform, which consists of a System on Chip (codenamed “Lincroft inch) that integrates a 45nm Intel® Atomâ„¢ processor core, graphics, video and memory controller. The platform also includes an input/output (I/O) hub, codenamed “Langwell, inch that includes a range of I/O blocks and supports wireless solutions.

Intel’s “Moorestown inch-based MIDs are expected to reduce idle power consumption by a factor of greater than 10 versus today’s Intel Atom processor-based MIDs. Additionally, the Moorestown platform will be accompanied by a newer Moblin software version, Moblin v2.0, that is based on the Linux operating system. This software is designed specifically to deliver a great PC-like Internet experience while also supporting cell phone voice capabilities. The “Moorestown inch platform is expected to come to market by 2010.

“LG Electronics makes some of the most innovative computers and smart phones in the world, and is known to be a leading-edge player in every market segment they serve, inch said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel Corporation senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Ultra Mobility Group. “We look forward to providing them some fantastic Intel products that will deliver the best Internet experience while dramatically reducing power contributing to the development of ultra sleek devices that offer superb battery life. inch

In order to offer a variety of network connections and Internet access, LG is also working with Ericsson to bring 3G network capability to its planned MID. This is an extension of the existing collaboration between the companies. LG has been supplying notebooks and netbooks with mobile broadband modules from Ericsson since the third quarter of 2008.

“We are glad that LG Electronics has chosen Ericsson to provide 3G capabilities in its Intel-based MID. We are working with LG and Intel to deliver industry-leading 3G capabilities on the Moorestown MID, inch said Mats Norin, vice president and head of Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules. “Ericsson’s unparalleled relationships with global service providers will be instrumental as we define plans with LG to take this MID to market across multiple geographies around the world. inch