At the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona this week, LG Electronics (LG) and Intel Corporation announced their collaboration around mobile internet devices (MIDs)
Based on Intel’s next-generation MID hardware platform, codenamed ‘Moorestown’, and the Linux-based Moblin v2.0 software platform, the LG device is anticipated to be one of the first Moorestown designs to market.
The goal of both LG and Intel is to unleash rich internet experiences across a range of mobile devices, while simultaneously delivering the functionality of today’s high-end smart phones.
This strategic link-up on the new design extends a close working relationship the two companies have enjoyed across their respective mobile product lines, which now spans the notebook, netbook and MID categories.
Jung Jun Lee (pictured), executive vice-president of LG Electronics and head of its Mobile Communications Business Division, said the MID segment will drive growth at LG Electronics.
“We chose Intel’s next-generation Moorestown platform and Moblin-based operating system to pursue this segment because of the high performance and internet compatibility this brings to our service provider customers,” he explained.
LG launched a netbook, based on the Intel Atom processor, in Q4 of 2008, and has been supplying the mobile companion device to carriers and retailers worldwide. LG also continues to ship notebooks based on the Intel Core processor.
Representing an emerging growth category in the industry, MIDs are designed to bring a rich, interactive, PC-like internet experience via pocketable devices.
Intel’s Moorestown-based MIDs are expected to reduce idle power consumption by a factor of greater than 10 versus today’s Intel Atom processor-based MIDs. The Moorestown platform is expected to come to market by 2010.
“LG Electronics makes some of the most innovative computers and smart phones in the world, and is known to be a leading-edge player in every market segment it serves,” said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel Corporation senior vice-president and general manager of the company’s Ultra Mobility Group.
In order to offer a variety of network connections and internet access, LG is also working with Ericsson to bring 3G network capability to its planned MID. LG has been supplying notebooks and netbooks with mobile broadband modules from Ericsson since Q3 of 2008.
“We are working with LG and Intel to deliver industry-leading 3G capabilities on the Moorestown MID,” said Mats Norin, vice-president and head of Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules.
“Ericsson’s unparalleled relationships with global service providers will be instrumental as we define plans with LG to take this MID to market across multiple geographies around the world.”
By Carmel Doyle
Pictured: Jung Jun Lee, executive vice-president of LG Electronics and head of its Mobile Communications Business Division
