Intel and phone maker LG Electronics are at CES 2010 showing off the new Intel-powered GW990 smartphone, a mobile device that looks like it may be a force to be reckoned with in the mobile market.
The CPU maker is known as a chip manufacturer for the server, PC and notebook industries, but a switch to smartphones could help the company tap into a new revenue stream. Intel, which is the largest chip manufacturer in the world, doesn't offer CPUs for smartphones, but that is expected to change later this year.
The company's "Moorestown" platform that utilizes the Atom processor will be a custom design for mobile phones and other portable technologies. The Atom CPU is already available for netbooks, but the smartphone version is more power-efficient and can reportedly power smartphones extremely well.
Unfortunately for consumers looking for a small smartphone, this one probably isn't the device you've been waiting for. The device itself has a 4.8-inch, 1024 x 480 display screen that supports 720p high-definition video playback. The GW990 is extremely bulky -- probably due to the screen and the power necessary to provide such clear video playback -- but provides crystal clear video playback.
All the extra horsepower and large screen can be used well, as the 1024 x 480 screen using an aspect ratio of 2.13 to 1 provided very good video playback. Interestingly, LG wanted owners to make use of the large screen, and included a multi-task feature -- the GW990 can play a video, view e-mail, and place a call simultaneously, according to the company.
Intel and LG both remain silent regarding specific hardware and pricing specs of the LG GW990.
