It seems that Acer has no plans to out smartphones that are powered by Intel processor and support 4G LTE networks. Aside from being a rather strange arrangement given the newfound relationship between the two tech companies, it also practically keeps Intel from getting into the upper segments of the smartphone market.
It actually keeps Intel out of Acer’s own home court in that sense. Taiwan is expected to roll out its first LTE network next quarter and while Acer will indeed be releasing 4G-capable handsets for the country, Intel won’t be part of the product lineup. Instead, it will be focusing on the mainstays of mobile device processors, Qualcomm and MediaTek.
This revelation is a weird one and Acer is not really saying why or how it arrived at that decision. Acer is one of the very few mobile device makers that have been parading Intel’s mobile Atom chips in their smartphones. Perhaps Acer wants to play it safe first as it rolls out a new breed of LTE-enabled devices. It’s not that Intel isn’t capable of supporting 4G networks but it isn’t just as well-established in that field compared to the other two.
If other Intel-friendly smartphone makers, like ASUS for example, follow suit, it might very well hurt whatever’s left of Intel’s aspirations for the smartphone market. While it will likely have a few products out there, it will soon be missing out on a growing portion of the market that is increasingly heading towards 4G LTE networks. Then again, Intel has almost all but thrown in the towel in the smartphone arena when it revealed its focus on wearable technology, but even there it will be facing stiff competition unless it manages to secure a name in the smartphone race.
SOURCE: Taipei Times
VIA: CNET
