AMD gives smartphones the cold shoulder, plans netbook

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AMD is not interested in developing processors for smartphones it has revealed at a financial analyst meeting, according to a report at EE Times.

Randy Allen, general manager of AMD’s computing solutions group said: “We don't expect the MID (Mobile Internet Device) market to become meaningful relative to other opportunities we can address,” along with, “of all the opportunities we could go after, we have eliminated microprocessors for smart phones.”

However, AMD will deliver processers for ultra-portable and mini-notebook computers that deliver what Allen refereed to as a, “full PC experience”.

He revealed dual-core processors for this segment, a 65nm part codenamed Conesus, scheduled 2009 featuring two cores, 1MB of cache and a DDR2 memory controller and a sub 25W TDP. This will be followed by 45nm part called Geneva in 2010 and Ontario (32nm) in 2011.

This comes as analysts Barclays Capital predict that that Intel’s Atom processor, designed for low cost netbooks, will be the only PC processor segment to display shipment growth in 2009.

According to AMD president Dirk Meyer, AMD will focus on areas where it can be sure it can turn a profit. "We have collectively had enough of losing money and we want to hear the cash registers ring," he said.

The company recently spun off its manufacturing division in an effort to reduce costs and reduced its head count by 500.

Yesterday, it released its 45nm ‘Shanghai’ Opteron chipsfor servers.

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