Intel Introduces Beefier Phone Chipset

Expanding its presence in cell phones, Intel Corp. introduced a product that combines the brains and memory of wireless handsets.

As cell phones take on new functions such as games, address book, e-mail and scheduling, the devices increasingly require more memory and processing power.

The new Intel chipsets will run as fast as 300 megahertz and have up to 128 megabytes of storage, enough memory to hold two albums of compressed digital music, according to Mark Casey, director of marketing for the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company’s wireless group.

It’s the first Intel cell phone processor to stack memory chips directly on top of a processor. At 1.8 volts, the processor requires nearly half the power of Intel’s previous chips, which helps extend battery life.

Alex Pham