The deal will see Spreadtrum jointly create and sell a range of Intel-based system-on-chips (SoCs), which Intel says will power devices from the middle of next year. It gives Intel the boost it needs to begin competing against its more established rivals, but also offers the chance of cracking the world's biggest smartphone market (where Qualcomm is currently facing an antitrust probe).
While Spreadtrum is known for low-cost chips that power Mozilla's Firefox OS smartphones, there's every chance this deal could see Intel make more of a splash in the booming Android market.
