QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM): Can Intel Corporation (INTC) Become a Force in Mobile?

Other chip applications
While the death of the PC has become more of a matter of acceptance than one of debate, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is not going quietly into the night. On the one hand, Intel PC chips are used in Microsoft’s recent Surface Pro. The device, which is the first serious attempt at a hybrid between a tablet and a laptop, was met with mixed reviews. It remains to be seen if Microsoft will be able to make a serious challenge in the tablet arena, but recent projections from IDC suggest that by 2017, Windows – and presumably Intel chips — will account for 7.4% of the tablet market. This may not be a hugely powerful position, but it gives Intel another footprint in mobile.

Finally, Intel is developing an application known as perceptual computing. The concept behind this interface is to allow your laptop to actively adapt to the various types of user interactions seamlessly. At initial inspection, the system looks like a productive version of Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect, but it goes deeper and, Intel hopes, will reinvigorate traditional computing.

A new force in mobile
It is ultimately too early to make a real determination as to whether Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) will charge into mobile with the same dominance it has exerted in the PC segment, but the company is making significant efforts. When it appeared that QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) was running away with the mobile chip market, by partnering with Samsung on the Tizen OS, Intel again stands on the cusp of real influence. The reception that Tizen receives will be critical, but even ahead of this, Intel looks solid.

The article Can Intel Become a Force in Mobile? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Intel. It also owns shares of Qualcomm.

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