Intel's new Atom chips for smartphones and tablets will have the X3, X5 and X7 monikers Pop quiz: Which is faster, the Atom Z3735F or the Atom Z3735G? If your eyes are glazing over, you’re not alone, because even hard-core geeks get confused by Intel’s naming convention for the Atom chip family — which is why they’re rebranding it. New Atom chips will have the X3, X5 and X7 designations, much like with the Core i3, i5 and i7 brands. An Atom X3 will deliver good performance, X5 will be better and X7 will be the best, an Intel spokeswoman said. The new names will give buyers a quick sense of the level of technology that they’re getting in mobile devices. For example, faster X7 chips for high-end tablets may have better graphics and more wireless connectivity options than X5 chips. (Of course, devices with more advanced chips tend to carry higher prices.) For average mobile device buyers, chip names typically don’t play a role in buying decisions. But chips are an important measure of device performance for technically savvy buyers and developers. Intel’s name change comes ahead of the Mobile World Congress trade show, where Intel is expected to announce new mobile chips. It’s likely that X3 will be the formal name for Atom smartphone chips code-named Sofia, while the Atom X5 and X7 will be names for tablet chips code-named Cherry Trail. The new naming scheme could also help Intel establish a consistent identity for its non-PC chips. Some Intel PC brands like Core and Pentium have a dedicated following, while the uninspiring Celeron brand brings up images of low-cost PCs with limited capabilities. In 2009, Intel similarly renamed its Core processors, a move met with some opposition among chip enthusiasts. The resistance quickly crumbled as the new names caught on. Considering how confusing the current Atom chip names are, any change will likely be welcomed by chip enthusiasts and discerning mobile device buyers alike. Related content news analysis CHIPS Act is working as billions of dollars in payouts is divvied out to semiconductor makers About $29 billion has been earmarked for more than a half dozen chip makers; the Biden Administration believes the spending will spur US chip production to reach 20% of the world's market, nearly double what America now produces. By Lucas Mearian Apr 30, 2024 7 mins CPUs and Processors Government feature Apple is intensely focused on its global AI efforts When the ship that is Apple moves in any direction, you can always count on careless whispers to expose the destination. From research labs to sophisticated AI models and Apple Silicon for server farms, here's what we've learned in just one By Jonny Evans Apr 30, 2024 6 mins Apple Artificial Intelligence feature What Capgemini software chief learned about AI-generated code: highly usable, 'too many unknowns' for production While most of Capgemini's clients are reticent to use AI-generated code in production, the technology has led to big efficiency and productivity increases that developers and engineers might not yet realize, says Jiani Zhang, the company's By Lucas Mearian Apr 30, 2024 21 mins Developer Engineer Generative AI news analysis The EU has decided to open up iPadOS 'Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers,' said the EU’s lead anti-competition regulator, Margrethe Vestige By Jonny Evans Apr 29, 2024 4 mins Apple Apple App Store iPad Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe