Computerworld is reporting that Intel is working on a 48-core processor for smartphones and tablets. They have a working prototype and expect the revolutionary CPU to hit the market in 5-10 years.

“If we’re going to have this technology in five to 10 years, we could finally do things that take way too much processing power today. This could really open up our concept of what is a computer… The phone would be smart enough to not just be a computer but it could be my computer.”

Dual and quad-core CPUs combined with GPU processors are in use today but having 48 cores would be a game changer, potentially revolutionizing natural human interfaces and allowing computing portability. In effect, your smartphone could become your computer, and could be docked at work, home, and anywhere else you needed to access your computing resources. And although it sounds counterintuitive, many processors sharing the load can be more energy efficient than one or two cores trying to do all the work by themselves.