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The latest low-power/low-cost micro-architecture from Intel Corp. has finally made application processors for ultra-portable devices from the company comparable to ARM architecture-based offerings in terms of power consumption. It looks like the world’s largest chipmaker does not want to stop there and plans to offer system-on-chips which price will also be comparable to ARM-powered SoCs.

After many years of trying, Intel has finally introduced system-on-chips based on Silvermont micro-architecture that could fit into media tablets thanks to scenario design power (SDP) of around 2W. A number of hardware manufacturers have already announced their slates based on Atom “Bay Trail-T” Z3000-series processors, whereas the other will do so by the holiday season. Despite of low consumption of energy, the new Atom chips offer high performance in both general-purpose and graphics applications, compatibility with x86 programs and some other advantages. One drawback that Intel’s latest tablet-oriented SoCs have is price. Being sold for $32 - $37, Intel Atom “Bay Trail-T” Z3000-series just cannot compete head-to-head against ARM-based chips that cost $15 - $25 - $30, even when Intel provides 10% discount to large customers.

In a bid to finally compete against popular ARM-based application processors from companies like MediaTek or Qualcomm, the world’s largest chipmaker intends to introduce Atom “Bay Trail-T” models priced in the range between $15 and $20, according to a report by DigiTimes web-site. The entry-level chips may not perform like their more expensive brethren, but their capabilities should be enough to compete against low-cost SoCs featuring ARM cores.