Apple iPad Air 2 vs Intel's Llama Mountain: Paper-thin tablet to reign?

Intel Tablet Broadwell ProcessorFacebook/Intel

Intel showcased a paper-thin tablet nicknamed as Llama Mountain, which is more powerful than iPad Air 2. According to ITWorld.com, Intel presented its prototype tablet at the Computex trade show in Taipei, which runs with its fifth-generation Core processor or Broadwell chipset and is fully operational with Windows 8.

The Broadwell Y chip is also called Core M, which is a new breed of Intel's low-power processors. The CPU was made using the latest 14-nanometer fabrication process. This process allows the chips to be smaller yet more efficient. Showing off the capabilities of the new chipset, the report said that the tablet has an incredibly fast performance.

The tablet was reportedly faster than any PC, including systems using the new Haswell processors. The prototype tablet is also thinner and lighter compared to Apple's full-fledged tablet as the former measures 7.2 millimeters and weighs 670 grams despite sporting a 12.5-inch screen display. The screen panel is sharp and images were fairly visible from multiple angles even in direct sunlight. The tablet also sports a USB 3.1 port on the base, which can be used to charge the device.

Moreover, Intel's powerful tablet packs a separate dock for its detachable keyboard. With a detachable keyboard, the tablet transforms into a full PC or a hybrid laptop. However, the company did not provide the estimation of the device's battery life.

With the use of the tablet, PC makers can reduce the size and weight of the current hybrids in the market. PC makers like Dell and Microsoft manufacture tablet-laptop hybrids but sport thick and heavy bodies.

Unfortunately, Intel's tablet will not land on consumers' hands as the device is only a prototype shown to third party manufacturers to improve or incorporate in their devices. Concrete release date of the Broadwell chips has not been announced, but it is expected that the processors will be shipped just in time for the holiday season this year.