Intel To Partner With Rockchip On Android Tablets
Intel seems to have found away to break into the market for chips that run tablets by teaming up ith China's Fuzhou Rockchip Electronics Co. on a new product for mobile devices.
The chipmakers signed an agreement to jointly offer an Intel-branded mobile SoC platform -- a quad-core processor and integrated 3G modem called Sofia, Intel said today in a statement.
Expanding the offerings in Intel's SoFIA family of integrated mobile SoC platforms for entry and value Android mobile devices, the new SoFIA 3G part is expected to be available in the first half of 2015.
It will be targeted primarily at entry and value tablets. The Intel SoFIA family was added to Intel's mobile product roadmap late last year and includes Intel's first integrated applications processor and communications platform.
"The strategic agreement with Rockchip is an example of Intel's commitment to take pragmatic and different approaches to grow our presence in the global mobile market by more quickly delivering a broader portfolio of Intel architecture and communications technology solutions," said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. "We are excited to work with Rockchip. With today's announcement we've added yet another derivative to the Intel SoFIA family, and we expect to have them all in market before the middle of 2015. We are moving with velocity to grow Intel's offerings for the growing global tablet market."
"We are always looking for innovative ways to differentiate our product portfolio, and the first-of-its-kind collaboration with Intel helps us do this," said Min Li, Rockchip CEO. "The combination of Intel's leading architecture and modem technology with our leading mobile design capability brings greater choice to the growing global market for mobile devices in the entry and value segments."
The Intel SoFIA family is now made up of three different offerings, including the dual-core 3G version expected to ship in the fourth quarter of this year, the quad-core 3G version that is expected to ship in the first half of 2015, and the LTE version, also due in the first half of next year.
Intel said that pricing for the quad-core SoFIA 3G part will be "competitive." Under the agreement, both Intel and Rockchip will sell the new part to OEMs and ODMs, primarily into each company's existing customer base.
Expanding the offerings in Intel's SoFIA family of integrated mobile SoC platforms for entry and value Android mobile devices, the new SoFIA 3G part is expected to be available in the first half of 2015.
It will be targeted primarily at entry and value tablets. The Intel SoFIA family was added to Intel's mobile product roadmap late last year and includes Intel's first integrated applications processor and communications platform.
"The strategic agreement with Rockchip is an example of Intel's commitment to take pragmatic and different approaches to grow our presence in the global mobile market by more quickly delivering a broader portfolio of Intel architecture and communications technology solutions," said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. "We are excited to work with Rockchip. With today's announcement we've added yet another derivative to the Intel SoFIA family, and we expect to have them all in market before the middle of 2015. We are moving with velocity to grow Intel's offerings for the growing global tablet market."
"We are always looking for innovative ways to differentiate our product portfolio, and the first-of-its-kind collaboration with Intel helps us do this," said Min Li, Rockchip CEO. "The combination of Intel's leading architecture and modem technology with our leading mobile design capability brings greater choice to the growing global market for mobile devices in the entry and value segments."
The Intel SoFIA family is now made up of three different offerings, including the dual-core 3G version expected to ship in the fourth quarter of this year, the quad-core 3G version that is expected to ship in the first half of 2015, and the LTE version, also due in the first half of next year.
Intel said that pricing for the quad-core SoFIA 3G part will be "competitive." Under the agreement, both Intel and Rockchip will sell the new part to OEMs and ODMs, primarily into each company's existing customer base.
