Intel unveils Android smartphone

Wows at CES.

Intel’s CEO Chris Otellini kicked off the keynote by introducing Intel’s first Android handset. In addition to its next-gen Atom processor, the reference design boasts some impressive specifications, including 8 hours 3G talk time, 14 days of battery life in standby mode, 6 hours of continuous video playback, HDMI supporting 1080p and an 8MP camera with 15fps capability.

The platform will also support cameras with a resolution of up to 16 megapixels and "the best version of Android on the planet." Guests were shown a time-lapse video of how Intel's phone fared against a HTC model during a video playback faceoff. The HTC phone shut down about halfway into the clip.

Described by Otellini as a “creative and rewarding journey for Intel”, the initial fruit of their labor will come in the form of the Lenovo K800 smartphone. Lenovo's Senior Vice President Liu Jun took to the stage to show off the new phone.

Lenovo's Liu Jun shows off the Intel-powered K800 smartphone.

Otellini claimed that the phone will be a lot more energy efficient than existing Android smartphones and will also boast "PC levels of security". The Lenovo K800 will debut in China in the second quarter of 2012.

Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha also took the stage to announce a "multi-year, multi-device partnership for smartphones" with Intel. While no specific models were announced, Jha promised that the company's first batch of Intel smartphones would appear in the summer (US) of this year. That Google deal is now beginning to make a lot more sense. 

In addition to its smartphone news, Intel also announced Dell’s first Ultrabook, showed off new advances in virtual shopping and gave a glimpse at an Ivy Bridge Ultrabook prototype: more information incoming..