x86 currently doesn't scale down to the level required for smartphones.
However, it is getting close in the tablet space. Estimates for the Tegra 3 are around 3-4W TDP[1], while the Cedar Trail Atoms are around 5.5W TDP. In early 2012 Intel will release their Medfield Atom chips, which will make the competition even more interesting.
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X86 fails miserably at lower power computing
x86 currently doesn't scale down to the level required for smartphones.
However, it is getting close in the tablet space. Estimates for the Tegra 3 are around 3-4W TDP[1], while the Cedar Trail Atoms are around 5.5W TDP. In early 2012 Intel will release their Medfield Atom chips, which will make the competition even more interesting.
[1] http://semiaccurate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4169
[2] http://www.extremetech.com/computing/94184-early-cedar-trail...