Intel Corp (INTC)

[wbmw]

I just realized two things from that article.

First, it shows SoFIA in 2016 with a 14nm part, "Intel Mfg"



Second, another SoFIA part, called "Mid", shows up on the performance and mid[-range] slide.



If you read the fine print, then Intel's phone and tablet strategy starts to make sense.

The 2015 product line will include SoFIA in the entry and value segments, and Cherry Trail in the Performance/Mid segment (though compared to 64-bit ARM cores, a 14nm Silvermont shrink may end up performing like a mid-range). What's interesting to see is that they follow up on the initial SoFIA 3G die (which is a dual-core Silvermont design, rumored to clock fairly low in frequency, around ~1GHz or so). That would compete with low end Cortex-A7 quad cores (given Silvermont's higher IPC) - but the interesting thing is that they follow up only a few months later with a SoFIA 3G-R, with a quad core Atom. That design would put even Octa-core A7-class cores to shame. And by mid-2015, they'll have an LTE integrated part, which should go head-to-head with Mediatek.

Even more interesting is their 2016 plans, in which they transition from 28nm TSMC to a 14nm Intel process, which should result in much greater frequency potential, thus moving it into mid-range performance. The "SoFIA LTE 2" and "SoFIA Mid" parts have similar definitions, so I wonder if the latter will contain a Goldmont core. That would give Intel a pretty compelling part that can even go up against Cortex-A57/A53 octa-core designs - but with a lower cost structure, and integrated LTE modem.

I would keep my eyes on SoFIA Mid. Intel seems to have bet big on SoFIA architecture, and given the integration requirements of the phone market, it may have been a very good bet. Along with Broxton, SoFIA Mid and LTE-2 products may be a solid product stack for winning share against Qualcomm.

This is a really solid roadmap. Better than what I've seen from Intel so far in the phone or tablet space. And those who think that Intel is backing away from mobile devices could be caught with their pants down. Interesting times ahead...