Intel on Wednesday demoed an Atom x3 processor running a smartphone for the first time and said it's planning to release future, purpose-built x3 chips with 3G and LTE capabilities for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The chip giant kicked off its Intel Developer Forum in Shenzhen, China with a strong focus on the Atom x3 processor family codenamed SoFIA which the company unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February. The product line is aimed at inexpensive tablets, phones, and phablets selling for under $200.

Intel said that "[m]ultiple original design manufacturers (ODMs) are designing products based on the Intel Atom x3-C3230RK quad-core processor reference design from Rockchip, with devices expected to be in market later this quarter."

Showcasing its first Atom x3 processor for smartphones with support for LTE-TDD connectivity via China Mobile, Intel announced that the chip would ship in the second half of 2015.

The company had announced earlier that some 20 device makers were on board to release more than 45 tablets, phablets, and smartphones using the x3.

Meanwhile, Intel also said a new line of Atom x3 chips with cellular modems for the IoT would feature "an extended temperature range for extreme weather conditions, support for Linux and Android, and seven years of extended product lifecycle support." Developer kits "will be available in the second half of this year," the company said.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich also showcased the chip giant's latest RealSense camera technology, including the first demo of "a 6-inch smartphone prototype with a new, longer-range Intel RealSense camera built into the device," the company said.

Krzanich stressed Intel's deep ties with China during his keynote to open the Shenzhen edition of IDF.

"The local and global impact of our 50 years of Moore's Law innovation and 30 years of strong collaboration and winning together in China is unmatched," he said. "Intel remains focused on delivering leadership products and technologies in traditional areas of computing, while also investing in new areas and entrepreneursstudents, makers, and developersto find and fuel future generations of innovation with China."

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