Intel launches Merrifield, its new 64-bit Atom processor

Intel announced two new 64-bit mobile processors designed for Android smartphones and tablets today during a presentation at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The 22nm dual-core Merrifield and larger quad-core Moorefield boast faster speeds which the company says rival Apple’s latest A7 processor as well as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800. Merrifield, officially called the Intel Atom Z3480, is clocked at 2.13GHz and reportedly offers improved battery life. The first devices packing this new processor should launch in the next few months. 

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, Intel launched its latest 64-bit Intel Atom Processor (codenamed Merrifield) for smartphones and tablets. The company also disclosed details of its next-generation 64-bit quad core Atom processor for Android mobile devices, codenamed Moorefield. Merrifield is now known as the Intel Atom processor Z3480. The 64-bit ready SoC is based on Intel’s 22nm Silvermont microarchitecture, runs at 2.13GHz, and the company claims it offers improved battery life. Intel expects Merrifield-based devices from multiple OEMs to launch beginning in the second quarter of this year. Devices with Moorefield, meanwhile, are expected to be available in the second half of the year.