On 29 December 2011, we noted that Intel was heading to CES 2012 with a Medfield chip in an LG Android phone. What we found was the Medfield snuggled nicely inside the second Lenova mobile phone, the Lenova K800. We’re still looking for that LG phone, but the initial data inside the Lenova model are quite impressive.

The K800 is running a 1.6 MHz, Intel Atom Z2460 CPU. The GPU is the very familiar PowerVR SGX 540, clocked at higher than usual 400 MHz speeds. It also sports a dual-channel, LPDDR2 memory. Only single-core for the time being, Intel plans to upgrade to a dual core soon, paired with a faster GPU. However, even with the hardward present, it still beats the speed of some of the more familiar mobile phones.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with these tests, of the two tests that were run, the first registers “winners” at the low end of the rankings, and the latter test shows the better results at the high end of the spectrum. First, low is good. Second, high is good.

Even with the single-core CPU and the Gingerbread OS, the 32nm Medfield chip outraced such models as the Galaxy Nexus with ICS and the iPhone 4 in browser benchmark tests. The GPU wasn’t as impressive, but it has enough power to muscle coding and decoding 1080p video at 30 fps.

In milliseconds or ms, here are the java benchmark test with a stock browser results:

Intel Medfield Reference Platform: 1331.5
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GMS/UMTS): 1988.1
Motorola Droid Razr: 2056.4
Apple iPhone 4S: 2250
Samsung Galaxy S II: 3727.4
Motorola Droid X2: 3865

In this second test, called BrowserMark, higher is better:

Intel Medfield Reference Platform: 116425
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GMS/UMTS): 97381
Apple iPhone 4S: 87841
Motorola Droid Razr: 82016
Samsung Galaxy S II: 55144
Motorola Droid X2: 49977

In both tests, the Intel Medfield platform performed the top sellers each time.

As most smartphone users know, the higher performance, the lower the battery life. Intel Medfield doesn’t rank in the top slot in the Standby 3G, Audio playback or 720p playback categories, but it does rank third in 3G, second in audio play and second in 720p playback – not bad for a new kid on the block.

And Intel plans on improving those opening salvo benchmarks. It will be interesting watching the development of this chip and see how it stands up against the Cortex A15, already quite powerful, and the Qualcomm Krait later this year.

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