On Thursday, Intel made an announcement regarding its upcoming Meteor Lake processors, signaling a significant departure from its long-standing naming convention. The familiar Core i series, which has retained the same branding for a span of 15 years, will now undergo a change by dropping the “i” from its naming scheme, starting with the forthcoming Meteor Lake processors. Moreover, Intel Core will introduce a new category known as the Ultra brand, which will prioritize high-performance processors.
According to Caitlin Anderson, Vice President and General Manager of Client Computing Group Sales at Intel, “To better align with our product strategies, we are introducing a branding structure that will help PC buyers better differentiate the best of our latest technology and our mainstream offerings.” This move also reflects the industry-wide trend of tech companies emphasizing compatibility with customer interest in artificial intelligence.
The rebranding will come into effect in the latter half of 2023, as Intel shifts away from the “i” nomenclature for client processors. For instance, the familiar Core i3/i5/i7/i9 will be replaced by Core 3/5/7/9.
The Core brand will now encompass two tiers: Core and Core Ultra. The Core Ultra tier will be specifically tailored for enhanced performance. Both Core and Core Ultra processors will be compatible with Intel Arc graphics.
This streamlined naming system aims to emphasize a significant shift in architecture and design, as highlighted in Intel’s marketing material.
Additional branding changes include the introduction of the Intel Evo Edition platform brand for Evo-verified designs, as well as the implementation of Intel vPro Enterprise and Intel vPro Essentials device labels for relevant commercial systems.
Meteor Lake, slated to launch in the latter half of 2023, represents a new line of client processors manufactured using Intel’s advanced 4 process node. Notably, it will be the first Intel client processor to feature a dedicated artificial intelligence engine.
The chipset configuration for Meteor Lake is Intel’s first to utilize the advanced 3D packaging technology known as Foveros.
Intel AI Boost, a dedicated AI engine, joins the company’s portfolio of AI accelerators and supporting hardware. In response to the growing interest in AI deployment among enterprises, Intel aims to remain competitive by prioritizing AI capabilities. The exact integration of the AI engine into Meteor Lake products has yet to be disclosed, although Intel has already incorporated AI and deep learning accelerators across other product lines.
In terms of alternatives to Intel Core, major competitors include AMD and Apple. Apple, for instance, announced its transition from Intel-built chips to its proprietary M1 chips for Macs in 2020. Additionally, NVIDIA is a prominent player in the market for AI-accelerated chips.
