The Orange San Diego is an Android smartphone which has a modestly modified user interface in order to bring it in line with the branding of the mobile network operator whose name it bears.

However, the real talking point of the San Diego is its processor, which is one of the few chips produced by Intel to be used in smartphone devices.

While the market is dominated by chip architectures from ARM, it seems that desktop supremo Intel is looking to get in on the action with the San Diego and early indications suggest that it could prove to be something of a success.

The processor in question is an Intel Atom Z2460 Medfield single core CPU which is clocked at 1.6GHz. Intel has been candid about its opinions on the use of multi core processors in mobiles in recent weeks, stating that at the moment it sees no reason to opt for a dual or quad core chip when single core solutions remain powerful enough to sustain something like Android.

Added to the technical mix of the San Diego is a four inch touchscreen display and 16GB of onboard storage space. This is par for the course in terms of modern Android offerings and even seems a little limited when you look at the 4.7 inch plus handsets like the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Of course the Orange San Diego is courting a different segment of the market and as such can afford to be a little more compact. In terms of build quality it looks like Intel`s manufacturing partner ODM Gigabyte has actually done a good job and it does not feel cheap or flimsy.

The display has a resolution of 1024×600 and while this is not in the same league as the high def displays of its costlier stable mates, it is still a pixel count which puts it head and shoulders above a number of other budget phones. In fact compared to last year`s high end offerings from major manufacturers this still looks impressive.

The fact that you can use the eight megapixel primary camera to record full HD 1080p video clips attests to the fact that the Atom processor is certainly not messing around. Usually a single core phone will be limited to 720p video capture, with dual and quad core alternatives being require to ratchet up the video resolution.

You get the latest version of Android preinstalled on the Orange San Diego, which means you can access the Google Play download service to add a range of apps to the handset and also get on with other smartphone tasks unhindered.

It will be interesting to see how the Orange San Diego fairs in a very competitive marketplace. It will need to be part of the best mobile phone deals in order to attract the attention of consumers, if only because Intel will also want to prove itself worthy in the face of its rivals.