All eyes were on Intel today, and they made a few surprising announcements during their keynote. First off, Intel has announced the first Intel powered smartphone, and the honor (or embarrassment) goes to Lenovo. The Lenovo K800 will be the first Android smartphone to carry the new Intel Atom Z2460 processor as well as a 4.5″ 720p HD display, dual cameras, and Intel wireless display technology. Not much more is known about the device other than the fact that it will be headed to China first. The other big announcement came with a guest appearance by Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha.

I don’t think anyone expected to see Motorola show up at the Intel keynote, but it’s now official and out in the open — “Intel and Motorola Mobility Strike Multi-Year Strategic Mobile Partnership.”
That’s right, Motorola has agreed to a “long-term” partnership with Intel and will begin manufacturing Atom powered smartphones and tablets sometime in the near future. I don’t know about you, but I’m already preparing for an Atom powered Motorola Nexus device.

I’m still waiting to see how these new Intel chips perform before making any judgement about whether they will be a viable option in the future, but this recent new of a Motorola partnership has most definitely upgraded my interest. Not much more to report here but you can check out the Intel/Motorola press release below.

Intel and Motorola Mobility Strike Multi-Year Strategic Mobile Partnership
Motorola Mobility to Begin Shipping Intel®-Based Smartphone in 2H 2012

LAS VEGAS – Jan 10, 2012 – INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW – Intel Corporation and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) announced that the two companies were entering into a multi-year, multi-device strategic relationship that includes smartphones which Motorola will begin shipping later this year using Intel® Atom™ processors and the Android™ platform.

The collaboration, which also covers tablets, will combine Intel’s leadership in silicon processor technology and computing innovation with Motorola’s mobile device design expertise to deliver products that have the high performance, long battery life and convenience necessary for increasingly mobile lifestyles.

“When great silicon and software technology meets great mobile and design innovation, amazing things can happen,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. “Our long-term relationship with Motorola Mobility will help accelerate Intel® architecture into new mobile market segments. We expect the combination of our companies to break new ground and bring the very best of computing capabilities to smartphones and tablets, which in turn will help to create powerful new experiences that connect and enrich people’s lives wherever they may be.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with Intel to deliver smartphones and tablets based on Intel’s Atom processor to consumers and businesses,” said Sanjay Jha, Chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility. “Though there are 5 billion mobile subscribers in the world, less than 800 million are using a smartphone today. With Android as the leading smartphone OS globally and advancements in computing technology we see tremendous opportunity for the converged devices market.”

Smartphones and tablets are quickly becoming an indispensible part of people’s daily lives — making them constant companions. The strategic relationship between Intel and Motorola Mobility will expand opportunity for continued innovation in these areas as they work closely to leverage Intel’s low power system-on-chip (SoC) roadmap for Motorola Mobility’s converged mobile device portfolio. The companies will collaborate across hardware, software and services to deliver complete solutions and disruptive new user experiences that offer long battery life, increased computing performance, advanced imaging and video capabilities, and seamless wireless connections.

About Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people’s lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.