Subj : Intel CPUs could soon swap their iconic i for some confusing new To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Tue May 02 2023 12:45:04 Intel CPUs could soon swap their iconic i for some confusing new names Date: Tue, 02 May 2023 11:24:49 +0000 Description: Intels next generation of processors could see a major rebrand and one that risks treading on Apples toes. FULL STORY ====================================================================== It looks like Intel could be ditching its iconic i branding for CPU names in the not-too-distant future. That means no more i5, i7, and so on. Why? Thats for Intel to know, and us to wonder. The news comes from Intels director of global communications, Bernard Fernandes, who confirmed in a tweet that Intel has plans for brand changes as the company is at what he calls an inflection point in its roadmap for future CPU generations. Yes, we are making brand changes as were at an inflection point in our client roadmap in preparation for the upcoming launch of our #MeteorLake processors. We will provide more details regarding these exciting changes in the coming weeks! #Intel May 1, 2023 See more It shouldnt be shocking for anyone with their fingers on the pulse; Intel has plans to release a whole new CPU architecture (hopefully this year) under the Meteor Lake codename, and a recent benchmark result found in the test results database of strategy game Ashes of the Singularity revealed a mysterious processor named the Intel Core Ultra 5 1003H. So, Intel could be dropping the i and replacing it with Ultra. Of course, this could merely be a codename, or we might see Ultra and non-Ultra versions of Meteor Lake processors. Notably, we might get at least one more i generation before this big rebrand hits, with some leaks indicating that Intels 14th-gen Core CPUs wont exclusively use the new architecture . Unnecessary confusion? I have to ask, Intel: why this? Why now? Sure, Meteor Lake does represent a fresh start for its processor products, but the Core branding is evidently sticking around, so why lose the i? Judging by the leaked CPU name, Intel doesnt plan to drop the 3/5/7/9 tier numerals for its chips either. If this leak is accurate and it could well amount to nothing, with the rebrand giving us something entirely different I really have to question the logic behind it. Ultra isnt exactly an original name, after all. Phone manufacturers love to shove the word into product names to indicate that youre getting a souped-up version of the phone. Ultra HD is common parlance for 4K resolution when it comes to displays. And, perhaps most critically, Apple which is now a key competitor for Intel in the processor space is using the moniker in its own high-end SoCs like the M1 Ultra . As far as Im concerned, its second only to slapping Pro on the end of a product name in the garbage tech naming conventions race. Even setting aside my dislike of the term, big rebrands often pose the risk of simply being confusing for consumers. Intels i branding has been around for a long time now more than two decades, in fact. Its become synonymous with Intels name: the company doesnt even capitalize the first letter of its name in logos and branding material. To ditch it would be a major move, and consumers with only a limited degree of familiarity with Intel products (say, knowing that an i9 is better than an i5) could end up unsure of where they stand. Hey, this could be no big deal. Maybe Intel wants to shake up its numbering conventions instead (which would also suck). Maybe even Core is going away. Intel Inside was a masterstroke of brand campaigning, but it didnt last forever. All things change, and perhaps its time for something new. All those is will be lost in time, like tears in rain ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/intel-cpus-could-soon-swap-their-iconic-i-for-s ome-confusing-new-names --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .