Your 2021 PC is going to have a 5G network, thanks to MediaTek and Intel. Both of them said this Monday that they are working together to make cellular-connected computers.
Intel will define the 5G PC, and then MediaTek will develop the cellular chip for those devices. Intel will also make sure that the 5G chip is working correctly, and then the developers will integrate the processor into their devices.
Dell and HP are also working on the 5G laptops using the technology made by Intel and MediaTek. Dell is also continuously introducing its amazing laptops. You can check out the Dell Inspiron 5000 here.
The first 5G devices of Dell and HP would come into the market by 2021. The 5G PC chip is partly based on MediaTek’s Hello M70 5G modem, which it introduced at the start of this year.
This partnership is a win-win situation for both Intel and MediaTek. It will help MediaTek break into the U.S. market and also help Intel introduce 5G-connected PCs. It will also help Intel defend its computer market. For a long time, it has made chips that work in PCs. However, its rival, Qualcomm’s processor, has an advantage that its processors have better connectivity and battery life.
After the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, people have started spending more time on their phones than on PCs. They also use their PCs for longer times than their phones. The leading solution to this is to turn the computers into more like phones. For some years, Microsoft has been working with Qualcomm to make such devices. However, now, Intel has jumped into the mix.
Earlier this year, Intel introduced its Project Athena Initiative. It is an effort to make PCs more like computers. These devices should start instantly, support brighter screens, and have long-lasting battery life. Project Athena laptops also need to undergo a biometric login process after the laptop is opened. The project’s first devices are due this year; however, they aren’t cellular-enabled.
Around seven years ago, Qualcomm collaborated with Microsoft and other computer makers to run a hobbled Windows version called Windows RT. They abandoned the Windows RT devices; however, during the past two years, they started efforts to put smartphone chips in computers.
Just last year, Qualcomm introduced its processor made specifically for computers, known as the Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform. This chip is quite powerful and efficient and gives the user multiple battery life on a single charge. Many PC makers are using these Qualcomm chips, like Samsung’s Galaxy Book S. This laptop has a 13.3-inch touchscreen and supports 23 hours of battery life. Moreover, it also features an in-built LTE.
Currently, Qualcomm has the edge over Intel, and it is the ability to make 5G chips. Although Intel had big ambitions in the modem business, recently, it fell back on its efforts. It struggled to build a 5G chip. Moreover, it ended its modem business after Qualcomm and Apple signed a multi-year chip supply agreement back in April. In July, Apple and Intel announced that Apple is going to buy Intel’s modem business. This deal gives Apple access to Intel’s 5G technology.
Four companies in the world make 5G chips, which are Huawei, Samsung, MediaTek, and Qualcomm. Samsung and Huawei restrict the 5G chips to their own devices. Intel will never collaborate with Qualcomm because they are each other’s rivals.
MediaTek mostly provides modems for Asian handset makers. Its first 5G modem won’t work with the 5G networks in the U.S. Intel, and MediaTek believes that their efforts will be enough to attract PC developers.
Gregory Bryant, who is the general manager of Intel’s client computing group, stated, “We have collaborated with MediaTek to bring the best minds that this industry has to offer. We will do our best to deliver 5G connectivity to the next generation of PCs.”
