ARM CEO: Intel will never be the leader in silicon power efficiency

Intel made a splash at CES 2012 with its Medfield smartphone processor, and a deal with Motorola to produce actual phones based on the tech. ARM CEO Warren East wasn't impressed: Reuters published a story today filled with vitriol from the silicon design exec. East said it was "inevitable" that Intel would strike a few device deals, adding that Intel's Medfield was merely "good enough" for phones. "They (Intel) have taken some designs that were never meant for mobile phones and they've literally wrenched those designs and put them into a power-performance space which is roughly good enough for mobile phones," he told the publication, and didn't stop at that: "Are they ever going to be the leaders in power efficiency? No, of course not. But they have a lot more to offer," he said. Still, East says he regards Intel as a competitor now, which is the surest sign it is, and that means AMD is fighting a war on two fronts when it comes to the processor business.