Intel's CEO talks up smartphones and thin laptops

By Noel Randewich

SANTA CLARA, California (Reuters) - Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini showcased the top chipmaker's long-awaited push into smartphones and talked up ultrathin laptops he hopes will spice up a category that seems increasingly dull compared to tablets and other mobile devices.

With worldwide PC sales barely growing, Intel Corp has been racing to find a foothold in smartphone and tablet markets, where processors based on ARM Holdings Pls's power-efficient chip designs are widely used.

Last month in India, Lava International launched the first smartphone using Intel's new Medfield processor and the device has received respectable reviews from benchmark testers.

Intel has also announced the Medfield chips would be used in upcoming phones from Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc, Lenovo Group Ltd ZTE and Orange.

"We're getting awfully good reviews for our first phones," Otellini told investors at an annual Intel event. "We have ambitions; you'll see more announcements over time and very cool capabilities built into phones."

Many investors are waiting to see how successful the new handsets become with consumers before declaring that the chipmaker is a serious player in the mobile market. But growing expectations that Intel will be able to compete have fueled gains in its shares in recent months.

Intel is also heavily promoting a PC category it has dubbed ultrabooks, similar to Apple Inc's