Intel and Nokia join forces on “new class of mobile computing device”

Intel and Nokia overnight announced a ‘long-term partnership’ to develop a new wave of mobile computing devices based on joint technologies including Linux, 3G and Intel’s x86 microarchitecture.

In a conference call held during the wee hours of this morning, spokesmen for both companies asserted that this “long-term relationship” marked the next step in the convergence of computing and communications “to shape the next era in mobile computing”

The wide-ranging pact includes collaboration on new chip architectures and the optimisation of Linux for delivering go-anywhere Internet access “in a user-friendly pocketable form factor”, using both Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo open-source projects.

While refusing to be drawn on specifics such as products and timeframes Anand Chandrasekher, general manager for Intel’s Ultra Mobility Group, said “this is about empowering a new class of devices where the computing world and the mobile world have converged.”

Kai Oistamo, Nokia’s executive vice-president for devices, said the Finnish phone supremo “will explore new ideas in shapes, designs, materials and displays that will go far beyond devices and services on the market today.”

All of which sounds nice in a Big Picture kinda way, but exactly what does it mean?

First of all, the silicon at the heart of these devices will be built around the Intel slicon. “This relationship is to work together on the Intel architecture on future mobile devices” Chandrasekher said.

This pretty plainly means the x86 platform, most logically the Atom line and most likely the second-gen Atom ‘Moorestown’ platform expected within the next 18 months. It could extend to the third-gen ‘Medfield’ silicon due in 2011.

This represents the biggest win for Intel, as all Nokia devices to date run ARM processors from the likes of Qualcomm and Texas Instruments. It also adds momentum to Intel’s push into the smartphone and MID space, following February’s announcement that LG Electronics would design a series of devices around the Moorestown and Moblin combo.

While Intel has had its eye on the iPhone, Apple’s acquisition of ARM processor design firm PA Semi in April last year and the subsequent hiring of chip designers indicates that Apple intends to continue along the ARM path.

Yet while the iPhone would undeniably be a hero catch for Intel, it should be remembered that Apple’s smartphone currently holds a 10.7% share of the worldwide smatrphone market compared to Nokia’s 40.8%, according to analyst firm Gartner.

(Yes, that figure does represent a doubling of Apple’s share over the previous year and a 10.1% slide for Nokia, but the Finnish company is still well out in front. And smartphones currently account for barely one in ten of all mobiles sold – in the overall mobile market the iPhone claims a miniscule 1.1% of sales against Nokia’s 36.2%.)

Linux also gets a leg-up with the double barrel push of Moblin and Maemo as operating systems which the joint venture will optimise for these forthcoming devices. The Intel-Nokia alliance makes it clear that the open-source OS is the front-runner for smartphones and mobile Internet devices.
 
“Why Linux?” posed Nokia’s  Oistamo. “It’s undoubtedly an important part of that brave new world, combining the mobile and computing worlds together.”

Finally, as part of the deal, Intel will license Nokia’s 3G HSDPA modem technologies for use in the platform and wireless chipsets.

In short, this technology triple-play could supercharge the nascent market for mainstream smartphones and mobile Internet devices.

However, both companies are at pains to point out that this doesn’t change their existing gameplan. Nokia’s Kai Oistamo asserted that “this announcement has no impact on our long-term partnership with ARM. ARM continues to be an important part of Nokia’s future.”

Likewise, Chandrasekher stressed that Intel’s warm embrace of 3G didn’t mean it loved WiMAX any less. “We don’t believe that this announcement has any effect on WiMAX, one way or another. In this partnership we're expanding our broadband wireless portfolio by adding to it a license to be able to implement Nokia's 3G HSPA technology.”

As a result, said Chandrasekher, devices built under the Intel-Nokia pact would contain a wireless triple-treat of Wi-Fi, 3G and WiMAX for the utlimate in “anywhere, anytime” connectivity.