Intel has announced a range of new products, ecosystem and enabling efforts that will further accelerate the company's presence in mobile.

The announcements include a new dual-core Atom SoC (Clover Trail+) platform for smartphones and Android tablets, and the company's first global, multimode-multiband LTE solution that will ship in the first half of 2013. Other disclosures included Bay Trail momentum, mobile device enabling efforts, and continued smartphone momentum in emerging markets with the Intel Atom Z2420 processor-based platform.

Intel's new Atom processor platform (Clover Trail+) and smartphone reference design delivers performance that rivals today's most popular Android phones, said Intel.

The platform's 32nm dual-core Intel Atom processors – Z2580, Z2560, Z2520 – are available in speeds up to 2.0GHz, 1.6GHz and 1.2GHz, respectively. The processor also features support for Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, supporting four simultaneous application threads.

The integrated platform also includes an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator engine with a graphics core supporting up to 533MHz with boost mode for smooth, full 1080p hardware-accelerated video encode and decode at 30fps.

The new Atom platform also brings advanced imaging capabilities, including support for two cameras, with a primary camera sensor up to 16-megapixel. The imaging system also enables panorama capture, a 15 frame-per-second burst mode for 8-megapixel photos, real-time facial detection and recognition, and mobile HDR image capture with de-ghosting for clearer pictures in flight.

The platform is also equipped with Intel Identity Protection Technology (IPT), helping to enable strong, two-factor authentication for protecting cloud services such as remote banking, e-commerce, online gaming and social networking from unauthorized access. Since Intel IPT is embedded at chip-level, unlike hardware or phone-based tokens, it can enable more secure, yet user-friendly cloud access protection. Intel is working with partners including Feitian, Garanti Bank, MasterCard, McAfee, SecureKey Technologies, Symantec, Vasco Data Security International and Visa. to incorporate this technology into their services.

With WUXGA display support of 1900 by 1200 resolution, the platform will also enable larger-screen Android tablet designs. It also includes support for Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), Intel Wireless Display Technology, HSPA+ at 42Mbps with the Intel XMM 6360 slim modem solution, and the new industry-standard UltraViolet Common File Format.

Customers announcing support for Clover Trail+ platform for phones and tablets include Asustek Computer, Lenovo, and ZTE.

Building on the Atom processor platform (Clover Trail+), Intel also highlighted its forthcoming 22nm smartphone Atom SoC (Merrifield). The product is based on Intel's 22nm process and an entirely new Atom microarchitecture that will help enable increased smartphone performance, power efficiency and battery life.

The Intel XMM 7160 is one of the world's smallest and lowest-power multimode-multiband LTE solutions (LTE / DC-HSPA+ / EDGE), supporting multiple devices including smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks, the company claimed, adding that the 7160 global modem supports 15 LTE bands simultaneously and also includes a highly configurable RF architecture running real time algorithms for envelope tracking and antenna tuning that enables cost-efficient multiband configurations, extended battery life, and global roaming in a single SKU.

Intel is currently shipping its single mode 4G LTE data solution and will begin multimode shipments later in the first half of 2013. The company is also optimizing its LTE solutions concurrently with its SoC roadmap to ensure the delivery of low-power combined solutions to the marketplace.

As part of its strategy to take advantage of the fast growing market for value smartphones in emerging markets, which some analysts expect to reach 500 million units by 2015, Intel highlighted continuing momentum with the Intel Atom Processor Z2420 platform (Lexington).

Etisalat Misr, a telecom operator based in Egypt in collaboration with Intel, announced plans for the Etisalat E-20 smartphone with Intel Inside. Set to debut in Egypt in April, the Intel-based handset will be the first in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the second introduction in Africa to-date, building on the recent launch of Safaricom in Kenya.

Building on the device momentum and power-efficiency of the Atom processor Z2760, Intel's first quad-core Atom SoC (Bay Trail), will be the most powerful Atom processor to-date – doubling the computing performance of Intel's current-generation tablet offering and providing the ecosystem with a strong technology foundation and feature set from which to innovate. The Bay Trail platform, scheduled to be available for holiday 2013, is already up and running on Windows and Android and will help enable new experiences in designs as thin as 8mm that have all-day battery life and weeks of standby.

Intel is currently working with Compal Electronics, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), Pegatron Technology, Quanta Computer and Wistron to accelerate Bay Trail tablets to the market. Intel is also extending its work with brand partners globally, building on the strong foundation of Intel Atom processor Z2760-based tablet designs in market from Acer, Asustek, Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, LG Electronics and Samsung.

Intel also announced an expansion of its ecosystem enabling efforts to deliver new device and market innovations across a range of Windows- and Android-based mobile devices.

Intel platform and enabling programs have been the foundation of brand vendor and ODM innovation for decades. The new program will focus on accelerating time to market for mobile devices based on Intel architecture with brand vendors and ODMs. The program will focus first on tablets, followed by phones, providing pre-qualified solutions with simplified building blocks to scale designs quickly for mature and emerging markets. The Atom Processor Z2760 and the company's forthcoming 22nm Atom SoC, codenamed Bay Trail, will be the starting foundation for the effort.