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Intel announces two mobile device partnerships at CES 2012-- one with Lenovo, the other with Motorola Mobility. The company has been long wanting to make progress in the mobile device processors, a field currently dominated by rival ARM.

Better known as a PC maker, Lenovo is branching into mobile devices. Not only tablets (of which Lenovo has a couple) but also smartphones-- the company reveals the first smartphone running on the Intel Z2460 processor (aka "Medfield"), the K800 smartphone.

Running on Android 4.0, the Lenovo K800 is a 4.5" device with a 720p TFT display, a WCDMA HSPA+ 21Mbps radio, wifi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and onboard WiDi allowing the device to sync to TVs. It should be start shipping in China in Q2 2012 before (presumably) heading towards the West.

The Intel CES booth also has a prototype Lenovo tablet running on a Medfield processor-- the IdeaTab K2110, a 10.1" Android 4.0 device.

Motorola Mobility is also joining Intel in a "multi-year, multi-device strategic relationship," and announces it will start shipping Medfield-powered smartphones from H2 2012. No actual devices are actually announced yet, but we should hear about them soon enough.

Go Intel Raises Bar on Smartphones, Tablets

Lenovo gets flexible as it announces two transformable offerings at CES 2012-- the IdeaPad Yoga ultrabook/tablet combination and the IdeaCentre A720 all-in-one desktop/surface hybrid device.

The IdeaPad Yoga is not just an ultrabook with a screen that flips over like a spiral-bound book-- it is also the first Windows 8 tablet from the company. It has a 13.3" 1600x900 multi-touch display, weighs around 1.47kg, is 16.9mm thick and will carry a "next-generation" (Ivy Bridge) Intel Core processor.

Lenovo says battery life will total 8 hours, and the Yoga will enjoy details such as a proper keyboard, "soft touch rubber paint on the exterior" and side buttons. It should be available once Windows 8 hits the market at around H2 2012.

Meanwhile the IdeaCentre A720 is an all-in-one desktop boasting a 27" 10-point multitouch display. The display has a "widely adjustable hinge" allowing one to fold it back to a 90-degree angle-- turning it into a surface-like device.

It carries an Intel Core processor and an Nvidia graphics chip, as well as an IdeaTouch touch-optimised application suite. The base holding the screen armature contains various ports, including HDMI in/out. Like the Yoga, it will also start shipping sometime on H2 2012.

Go Lenovo Announces IdeaPad Yoga, IdeaCentre A720

Is it an Android phone with a Polaroid camera module, or a Polaroid camera with an Android phone inside? CES 2012 attendees were left with that dilemma when Polaroid revealed the SC1630 Android HD Smart Camera.

In simple words, the SC1630 is the fusion of digital camera and Android smartphone-- a 16MP point-and-shooter carrying a micro SIM slot and 850/1900/2100MHz WCDMA and 850/900/1800/1900 GSM radios, together with wifi, Bluetooth, GPS and FM radio connectivity.

The camera has F3.1-F5.6 aperture, 3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom, as well as max shutter speed of 1/1400 and max ISO of 3200. It also has anti-shake support, geotagging options and shoots 720p video.

A 800x400 3.2" touchscreen and Android OS provides control, while inside are 512MB of built-in storage (expandable to 32GB via microSD card), 512MB of RAM, proximity and G-sensors and 2.5mm headphone jack.

Analysts have been long saying the digital camera industry depends on connectivity and innovation if it wants to survive in the current smartphone dominated market. Polaroid seems to be listening such advice to heart-- we'll gauge the SC1630's success once it hits the market on Q2 2012.

Go Polaroid SC1630 Android HD Smart Camera

Razer unveils another potentially interesting concept design  at CES 2012-- "Project Fiona," a 10.1" multitouch tablet with a pair of gamepad-style handles attached to the sides, aiming directly at the gaming market.

The prototype carries an Intel Core i7 processor, together with a 3-axis gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer and built-in force feedback. Connectivity comes through wifi and Bluetooth (Razer gives no mention of USB or HDMI ports), while Dolby Theatre v4 enchances audio.

No details are available on battery life, either.

Being a Windows machine it will feature a hybrid UI allowing for immediate access to games, accessible via Windows 8 app. The company says most games should be playable on the device without additional modification, but developers will be able to add Fiona-specific control schemes to take advantage of the touch screen and accelerometer.

Some of you might be reminded of other fascinating Razer concepts that never got to see life beyond prototype stage (so far), the Switchblade and Blade gaming laptops. Will Project Fiona break the pattern? Razer hopes the device will be available sometime around Q3 or Q4 2012, once Windows 8 is out on the market.

Go Project Fiona