英特爾（Intel）在手機芯片市場上舉步維艱，於是該公司開始曲線救國。

這家位於加州聖塔克拉拉的芯片製造巨頭與FreedomPop達成合作，共同開發一款聚焦WiFi的智能手機，包含免費的蜂窩電話服務。FreedomPop從斯普林特（Sprint）手中購買了無線頻譜，成為移動虛擬網絡運營商（MVNO）。

這款智能手機定於2016年發布，採用英特爾的Sofia移動芯片，將展現出該芯片在通話時WiFi和蜂窩數據間無縫切換的能力。這款手機旨在利用越來越多的WiFi熱點。FreedomPop在美國各地部署了880萬個自己的熱點。

“運營商花費數十億美元構建LTE網絡，但90%的移動端下載通過WiFi進行，僅僅10%是在蜂窩網絡上完成。”FreedomPop創始人兼首席執行官史蒂芬·斯托克爾斯（Stephen Stokols）說，“消費者只有10%的時間需要LTE數據連接，卻為此支付了50到120美元。”

這款手機的代工廠商尚未對外公佈。該手機的3G版本可能將於明年首先在英國發售，然後會在明年晚些時候在美國市場推出4G版本。

斯托克爾斯表示，FreedomPop將全權負責這款新手機的銷售和分銷渠道，它將成為該公司向客戶出售的主力手機。

這個計劃類似於谷歌（Google）的Project Fi，也就是該搜索巨頭最近在Nexus 6手機上推出的MVNO服務。Project Fi向消費者提供了不限通話時長和短信數量的20美元包月費，每GB數據流量費為10美元。

英特爾資本（Intel Capital）也對FreedomPop進行了投資，具體金額沒有公佈，但可能只有幾百萬美元。另外，FreedomPop還在今年7月的B輪融資中募得3,600萬美元。

在過去幾年裡，英特爾一直在努力探索進入移動領域的道路。該公司試圖用金錢開道，每年因此損失數十億美元。2014年，英特爾的移動部門虧損了42.1億美元（目前難以準確界定英特爾到底虧了多少，因為去年底該公司開始在財報中把PC和移動部門的業績合在一起公佈）。

Sofia是“Smart or Feature phone with Intel Architecture”的簡寫，意即“採用英特爾架構的智能或功能手機”，在2013年底發布，集成了英特爾凌動（Atom）處理器、3G蜂窩網絡、WiFi、藍牙、GPS甚至FM廣播（英特爾計劃在2016年的某個時候推出LTE版Sofia）。到目前為止，3G版芯片組主要面向價格便宜的低端手機。2014年5月，英特爾開始與中國芯片製造商瑞芯微（Rockchip）合作，加大力度開拓中國市場。

另一方面，位於圣迭戈的芯片製造商高通（Qualcomm）是很多高端智能手機的蜂窩調製解調器和集成應用處理芯片的主要供應商，收入豐厚。但對於高通和很多智能手機製造商來說，智能手機市場的回報逐漸降低，除了蘋果（Apple）的iPhone。手機市場在很多業內企業的眼中顯得不夠穩定，但英特爾仍然在努力尋找最佳的進入方法，因為它就是忘不掉這個市場。

“英特爾急於改變他們在移動領域裡的地位。從這個角度來講，他們是很好的合作夥伴。”FreedomPop的斯托克爾斯說，“他們願意嘗試新東西，比其他人更加積極地與運營商開展合作。”

Intel has had a hard time getting its chips into phones, so now it’s starting to get creative.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaking giant is working with FreedomPop to launch a WiFi-focused smartphone that includes free cellular phone service. FreedomPop buys wireless spectrum wholesale from Sprint — what’s called a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

The smartphone, due out in 2016, will be based on Intel’s Sofia mobile chipset and will show off the chip’s ability to switch seamlessly between WiFi and cellular during a phone call. The phone is designed to take advantage of the growing proliferation of WiFi hotspots. FreedomPop maintains 8.8 million of its own hotspots throughout the US.

“Carriers spend billions of dollars building out the LTE network, but 90% of mobile downloads are over WiFi and 10% on cellular networks,” said FreedomPop founder and CEO Stephen Stokols. “Ultimately, the consumer is paying $50 to $120 for that 10% of the time they need that LTE data connection.”

The exact phonemaker who will build the hardware hasn’t been announced yet. A 3G version of the smartphone will likely launch next year first in the United Kingdom, followed by a 4G version for the US market sometime later in the year.

FreedomPop will handle all the sales and distribution for the new phone, Stokols said, and it will become the main phone the company sells to its customers.

The plan here is similar to Google’s Project Fi, the search giant’s recent attempt at its own MVNO service using the Nexus 6 phones. Project Fi offers consumers unlimited calls and texts for $20, and $10 for each gigabyte of data.

Intel Capital is also investing an undisclosed amount of money — only a few million – into FreedomPop. The Intel cash will join the $36 million FreedomPop raised in July in a Series B round.

Intel has been working hard the past several years to find its way into mobile. The company has been losing billions annually as it’s tried to buy its way into mobile. At last count, Intel’s mobile unit lost $4.21 billion billion in 2014. (Right now, it’s hard to determine exactly how much Intel is losing ever since it combined its PC and mobile divisions in its financial earning statements late last year.)

Sofia — which stands for “Smart or Feature phone with Intel Architecture” — was announced in late 2013 and combines Intel’s Atom processor, a 3G cellular radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and even an FM radio. (Intel plans for an LTE version of Sofia to make its way into the market sometime in 2016.) To date, the 3G chipset has been mostly geared towards lower-end budget phones. In May 2014, Intel began collaborating with Chinese chipmaker Rockchip to push more aggressively into the Chinese market.

San Diego-based chipmaker Qualcomm, on the other hand, has raked in fortunes as the main provider of cellular modems and integrated application processor chips for many high-end smartphones. But the returns on the smartphone market has been drying up for Qualcomm, as well as for much of the smartphone market at large — with the exception of Apple’s iPhone. So while the mobile market looks unsteady for many established players, Intel is still trying to figure out the best way forward because it can’t just forget about the market.

“Intel is hungry to change their position in mobile. From that perspective, they’re a great partner,” FreedomPop’s Stokols said. “They’re willing to try new things and be more aggressive with the carriers than the other guys are.”

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