Rumor has it that head of Intel UMG ( ultra Mobile Group) Intel VP Anand Chandrasekher is betting his career on Intel hardware based Smart-phones. All our Intel ex-colleagues seems to be flying to Finland a lot. Nokia is there big bet. But then Nokia needs a miracle to survive iPhone, Android and Blackberry Juggernaut. Although we think Nokia still makes the best phones ( sorry iPhone fans) but Android is the best Phone OS. You would think Nokia will swallow its pride and work on an Android phone. But they are busy on yet another phone platform development with Intel, Meego.
Intel has come full circle by bringing on Mike Bell (ex HP <- ex Palm <- ex Apple) to lead smart-phone referencedesign. Don’t just work with top players but enables others also – what a novel idea ? Why didn’t we think of this before, wait a minute, we did but then we stopped. Intel dropped doing reference designs for UMPC /Smart-phone space over three years back. But this is Intel, they have money and influence to make up for the lost ground with the right people leading the effort.
On Linked in the appearance of Title ” Smartphone marketing Manager” for Intel employees is either sign of major changes or employees making themselves more marketable. Who wants to be associated with just plain PCs ?
So what happens to the tablet UMPC? This is under seasoned Intel VP Mooly Eden, MPG ( mobility platform group) , they traditionally seems to always end up with products which makes Intel lot of money. We certainlyhope their will be a lot of successful iPAD like tablets with Intel hardware. Other progeny of UMPC, Netbooks have peaked but are here to stay and UMG has done exceptional job with them.
Editors Note: Got to admit author is biased because of his past association with Intel. (Still cannot seem to get myself to buy AMD even if it is better deal and in spite of living in Austin, TX – stomping grounds of AMD.)
