The mobile market is currently dominated by ARM’s nearly ubiquitous architecture. But Intel’s Moorestown platform may herald the end of the beginning – rather than the beginning of the end – for ARM’s mobile monopoly.
Indeed, according to analyst Rob Enderle, Moorestown could theoretically pose a challenge to ARM if the platform manages to successfully power the next “in” device.
“The mobile space will take a long time and a lot of money for Intel to penetrate. But, adoption of the Moorestown platform can be significantly accelerated if it powers the next ‘in’ device, one that people are actively chasing after and want,” Enderle told TG Daily.
“Yes, Moorestown may have a performance advantage – but the trick is getting people to want it. Remember, most mobile OEMs do not fully take advantage of the current generation of ARM processors. In addition, the industry seems to be wedded to the paradigm set by Apple (iPhone) and Google (Android) – both of which are basically ARM-based.”
However, Enderle emphasized that a Moorestown-powered device, if properly implemented and marketed, may be capable of eventually threatening the holy Apple-Google-ARM trinity.
“Remember, people don’t like moving to a new category of devices. A Moorestown-based smartphone or tablet would have to boast a slick mobile UI, along with a really edgy look and feel. So far, the Apple iPhone has set the bar for industry standards,” explained Enderle.
“Yes, somebody could theoretically come along with another product and unseat Apple…But only a handful of companies do real, effective marketing and Apple is one of them. What Intel really needs is an ‘OMG’ moment – one that can rapidly catapult Moorestown into the mainstream mobile market.”
