Price Gives ARM Edge Against AMD & Intel

AMD and Intel, the x86 heavyweights, are struggling in their competition with ARM. Their efforts to develop low power x86 processors and platforms to compete with ARM in the tablet, smartphone and netbook markets just isn’t price competitive according to manufacturers. The simple fact that ARM processors are manufactured by a multitude of companies with tough competition among them has ensured that ARM processor platforms are significantly cheaper than low-power x86 designs. Intel recently debuted the 32nm “Medfield” Atom processors, the power consumption being as low as 11W will allow Intel to release x86 Android 4.0-based devices this year. In the second half of 2012 it is expected that Intel will launch another Atom line of processors with power consumption under 10W. These chips will be used in high-end smartphones. In the meantime, AMD will unveil their new “Hondo” x86 architecture with integrated Radeon graphics IP, which is expected to have a power consumption of less then 5W. The launch of the “Temash” APU in 2013, using the 28nm process, is expected to have a power consumption under 2W. If AMD and Intel can lower prices, their processors paired with Windows 8 might be competitive with ARM in 2013, but that’s still a full year away and ARM is unlikely to sit quietly during that time.