Intel introduces chip for Android devices

In an effort to stake its claim in the growing but increasingly competitive mobile market, chipmaker Intel® has introduced its new line of low-power Atom™ processors designed for Android™ smartphones and tablet computers.

The new processors, dubbed "Medfield," are among Intel's most power-efficient to date, the chipmaker claims. Introduced at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Medfield chips contain only a single processing core, which enables them to be less draining than dual- or quad-core chips.

Intel says it will take advantage of Android's open-source accessibility to "provide its customers with technology products that inspire continued innovation and also help enable powerful personal computing experiences." The company will send its newly unveiled Android tablet prototype to manufacturers to use as a template for their own products.

Though Intel accounts for more than 80 percent of the PC processor market, it has so far failed to make a dent in the burgeoning tablet and smartphone markets. However, according to technology news provider eWeek, the tablet market is poised for a shakeup in 2012, as Intel and others attempt to capture more share of the market.