Intel to be Working on 48-Core Processors For Future Smartphones and Tablets
Intel Intel

Intel researchers are thought to be working on a 48-core processor for smartphones and tablets, but it may take around five to 10 years for the processor to arrive in the market, according to Computer World.

"If we're going to have this technology in five to 10 years, we could finally do things that take way too much processing power today," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights and Strategy.

"This could really open up our concept of what is a computer... The phone would be smart enough to not just be a computer but it could be my computer".

According to report, Enric Herrero, a research scientist at Intel Labs in Barcelona said the lab is working on the development of new ways to use and manage several core processors in mobile gadgets.

Currently, mobile devices utilise multi-core chips which may be dual-core or quad-core CPUs. The researchers at Intel are reportedly gearing up to see how to best use the core in a mobile device.

"Typically a processor with one core would do jobs one after another. With multiple cores, they can divide the work among them".

Herrero claims with so many cores, it would be possible for an e-mail to be encrypted and at the same time users can also work on power-intensive apps.

Tanausu Ramirez, another Intel research scientist said that if a user is watching a high-definition video then a 48-core chip would be able to use different set of cores to decode different video frames simultaneously, in addition letting users to experience better video.

"The chip also can take the energy and split it up and distribute it between different applications," Ramirez added.

Researchers claim that it could take ten years for the 48-core chip to hit the market, while Justin Rattner, Intel's CTO said that a 48-core chip for small mobile devices may hit the market "much sooner" than the 10-year prediction.

"I think the desire to move to more natural interfaces to make the interaction much more human-like is really going to drive the computational requirements," Rattner said.

"Having large numbers of cores to generate very high performance levels is the most energy efficient way to deliver those performance levels."