Intel partners with handset makers to launch smartphones in India

The world’s largest chip-maker, Intel has been looking for various ways to break into the smartphone and other mobile devices space. The company, whose chip’s power the majority of desktops and laptops all around the world has not quite been successful as far the smaller devices are concerned.

In the mobile devices space, it trails to it’s competitors like Qualcomm, Samsung and Mediatek , whose chips power most of the mobile devices available in the market today. Intel’s last handset, the Xolo X900 which it co-manufactured  with LAVA was a pretty neat device and offered great value for money but still, didn’t bring in the numbers which the company might have expected.

Now, during a recent event, Intel South Asia’s Managing Director, Sales and Marketing Group, Debjani Ghosh told that the company would be partnering with different manufacturers to launch Intel powered phones in India which would start from as low as Rs.7000. It is important to note here that she also mentioned that these smartphones, won’t be entry level devices. While talking to the media during INFOCOM 2012, she said, 

"The first handset with Lava that we launched was a premium one. We learnt that it was important to have a portfolio and offer choice to the user. We will not have entry-level handsets .

We are working across multiple platforms; very soon you will see a product portfolio across different price ranges."

[Source: The Hindu]

All the upcoming smartphones from Intel would be touchscreen devices, running on Google’s Android OS and would be available by mid-2013. Though the names of the manufacturers weren’t specified, but it was mentioned that the company has partnered with two handset manufacturers in India. Internationally, Intel has tie-ups with major manufacturers like Motorola, ZTE and Lenovo, etc.