Intel's latest application processor, Z2580, reportedly sets the bar for performance and current drain in smartphones, outperforming competition.

ABI Research benchmarked the Lenovo K900 smartphone - powered by Intel's XMM6360 modem chipset andZ2580 application processor, the samsung Nexus 10 (Samsung Exynos 5250 - ARM A15 x2, 1.7GHz), the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 (Samsung Exynos Octa - ARM A1542 x4 + A7 x4, 1.6GHz), the Samsung Galaxy S4 i377 (Qualcomm APQ8064T - Krait 300 x4, 1.9GHZ) and the Asus Nexus 7 (Nvidia Tegra - ARM A9 x4, 1.3GHZ).

According to an ABI Research, Intel's new processor not only outperformed the competition in performance but it did so with up to half the current drain.

For the CPU test, three phones scored in the 5000 range for performance, but of the three, Intel stood out with only 0.85A of average current vs. 1.38A for the Samsung Exynos Octa, and 1.79A for the Qualcomm APQ8064T.

Similar trends are seen for each test. If one of the chips did have lower current, the performance was significantly lower or if the performance was better, the current was higher. The only test where a competitor matched the performance of the Intel Z2580 was for 1080p video record, the research firm said.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 i377 had lower current drain but this was not due to the Qualcomm APQ8064T. Instead it was because of a separate image processor from Fujitsu.

The Samsung Exynos Octa performed well without a separate image processor in both the 1080p and 3D graphics tests; outscoring all but with proportionally higher current compared to the Z2580 from Intel.

"Intel did significant work to bring the current drain down on their well-recognized high-performance processors but the competitors did not help themselves. The ARM architecture used by nearly all of Intel's competitors is well known for its low power performance but in bringing the processing power up closer to PC levels, the current drain has taken a significant hit," noted Jim Mielke, VP of engineering at ABI research. "

Mielke continues, "Combining the high-end modems (the XMM6360 is used in both the Lenovo K900 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500) with their application processors for high- to mid-tier solutions, and single-chip EDGE chips for low-cost phones makes Intel a rare full portfolio provider."