It would appear that Intel is getting ready to showcase their latest Medfield mobile chips. Sometime last week, Intel was kind enough to allow a few lucky folks over at MIT some hands-on with a few Android prototypes sporting the new chips. Technology Review was able to test out both an Android phone (running Gingerbread) and an Android tablet (running ICS) to see just how well these chips perform. The devices themselves are simply “reference designs” sent out to entice manufactures and have absolutely no bearing on what they may look like when finally produced.

Technology review noted the prototype phone to be similar to that of the iPhone 4 in design as well as being both powerful and pleasing to use. They also stated “it could play Blu-Ray-quality video and stream it to a TV if desired; Web browsing was smooth and fast.” Intel has built specific circuits into the Medfield chips to speed up Android apps and Web browsing according to Stephen Smith, vice president of Intel’s architecture group. He also hinted that these devices would be ready for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in January which puts a possible release in the near future.

Intel has had a hard time breaking into the mobile scene due to its power heavy chips which spread the work of a processor across two or three chips. The new Medfield chips hope to change all that and are, in fact, Intel’s first “truly single chip, ” says Smith. If Intel can show that their new Medfield chips not only outperform their competitors, but also exhibit low power consumption, they will have a sure winner on their hands. Now they just need a major manufacturer to jump on board and start designing some killer devices.

What do you guys think? Does Intel stand a chance, and if so, which manufacturer(s) do you think will adopt these new chips? Let us know in the comments below.

• SourceTechnology Review