Intel's first smartphone

Lenovo, Orange, Motorola and ZTE are also due to bring out Intel smartphones. 

As expected, the first smartphone powered by an Intel processor launched this week: the Lava Xolo 900.

Intel and India-based Lava International today announced the general availability of the Xolo X900, built around the Intel Atom Z2460 processor. The phone will be available for purchase in the India market on April 23 at a street price of approximately 22,000 rupees, or about $420.

Lava also announced a partnership with Croma, a national Indian chain of megastores, which will sell the X900.

In addition to the 1.6GHz Atom processor with a 400MHz graphics chip clock, the phone features full 1080p HD video encoding, an 8-megapixel camera with burst mode, HSPA+ 3G connectivity, and a 4.03-inch LCD screen.

At launch, the X900 will run on Android Gingerbread, but an over-the-air software upgrade to Android's Ice Cream Sandwich is planned "shortly," the companies said.

Intel claims battery life of up to 5 hours with 3G browsing and 8 hours of talk time.

Smartphones running on Intel processors from Lenovo, Orange, Motorola, and ZTE are also due in the coming weeks and months. While the launch of Lenovo's K800 is soon -- it'll probably be the next Intel-based phone to become available -- all of the others are slated for later this summer or in the second half of the year.

Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, is trying to refocus its chip design and manufacturing efforts on smaller devices like smartphones and tablets, markets where it has been virtually absent.