Om Malik has already declared Intel a loser in the mobile space against ARM based microprocessors as Intel announced their new Atom Z6xx series chips based on the x86 Intel Architecture (IA) that dominates the desktop and notebook (including the subcategory of netbooks) space.  I think Intel certainly has a tough road ahead in the mobile space, but Malik’s prediction of Intel’s demise may be premature and possibly wrong, and Anand Lal Shimpi has some detailed insights to share on this new Intel product.

ARM based architecture certainly meets the key requirement of low power consumption and long battery life in the mobile category, but Intel has highly competent chip architects and Intel holds a formidable manufacturing advantage over just about any other chip manufacturing fab in the world.  With the little bits of information leaking out about the new Intel Atom chips, it seems that Intel has made a huge stride in battery efficiency and it is enough to put Intel in reach of the mobile products like smartphones and tablets like the iPad.

Even though Intel may not lead battery efficiency, there comes a point where it becomes “good enough” once they get over the 8-hour mark (with reasonably comparable battery size which can’t be too big for mobile products).  Even though ARM based processors like the Apple A4 is well over the 10-hour mark, Intel Atom processors have a huge lead in CPU performance.  Anandtech’s superb in-depth iPad review – which unlike so many other early reviews doesn’t sound like an unpaid advertisement from Apple – benchmarked the Asus Eee 1001P netbook with an Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz processor to be nearly 2 to 3 times faster than the Apple iPad with an A4 1.0 GHz ARM processor.

So while battery life is the most important thing in mobility, performance is rapidly becoming a strong second criteria.  Once a product becomes “good enough” in battery life, all eyes will turn on performance where Intel currently shines.  The question is whether Intel’s first attempt in the mobile market with an IA product will be “good enough” on battery life and the only way we will know that is when we see the benchmarks so my eyes will be glued to Anand’s site.