Intel launches mid-level smartphone in UK

Come 6 June, the UK’s Orange network will launch its first Intel smartphone. Its name? San Diego.

CES 2012 was the coming out party for Intel’s lone-core CPU device.

It has a 4-inch screen and amazingly, Android 2.3. There’s no mention of a bump to Ice Cream Sandwich.

So what’s the big deal? Who cares that another handset maker is entering into a very crowded market? Intel does. Orange does. And eventually, so will the the user.

First and foremost, it’s a mid-range smartphone in every sense of the word. Gingerbread screams “mediocre” and the single-core Atom Z2460 CPU is pretty weak, but maybe that’s the reason for an older OS’ inclusion?

What else can users expect for £199.99? An 8-megapixel camera and a phone that “competes with other smartphones in terms of performance and battery life,” according to the UK telecom.

And judging by the images, this is an exceptionally vanilla smartphone. The four Android keys are front and present, but the device itself seems bulky and exceptionally last year.

So, if you’re a UK smartphone owner and looking to for a sideways-upgrade, the San Diego could be the next device for you. We’ll stick to our Galaxy S IIIs and iPhone 4Ss thank you very much.