LG may be first with Intel Medfield phone, repeat history
updated 10:25 am EST, Fri December 30, 2011
LG could be first to use Intel Atom in phones
A rumor spread Friday has asserted that LG will be the first to make phones using Intel's Medfield platform for Atom chips. Citing unnamed executives from both companies, the Korea Times would have LG use the CES expo to show at least one Android smartphone running on an Atom. When it would ship, if at all, wasn't apparent.
Neither side would officially confirm the details, although Intel did say it planned to show an Android phone at CES.
If accurate, it could see LG take a second attempt at building an Atom-based smartphone for the Las Vegas trade show in two years. The Korean firm tried is hand at it during CES 2010 with the GW990, a giant 4.8-inch smartphone that would have been based on Intel's MeeGo. LG and Intel at the time had the full intention of shipping it by the end of the year, but after realizing that it wouldn't be practical, decided to quit and pretend it was a concept to save face.
The unnamed Android phone, if real, would be much more likely to arrive as a shipping product. Medfield is finally low power enough to work in smartphones. Likewise, where MeeGo was still over a year away from being ready to attach to a smartphone in January 2010, Android is already running properly on Intel.
