It appears to be like like Intel may very well be ditching its iconic ‘i’ branding for CPU names within the not-too-distant future. Meaning no extra i5, i7, and so forth. Why? That’s for Intel to know, and us to marvel.
The information comes from Intel’s director of world communications, Bernard Fernandes, who confirmed in a tweet that Intel has plans for ‘model modifications’ as the corporate is at what he calls an ‘inflection level’ in its roadmap for future CPU generations.
Sure, we’re making model modifications as we’re at an inflection level in our shopper roadmap in preparation for the upcoming launch of our #MeteorLake processors. We’ll present extra particulars relating to these thrilling modifications within the coming weeks! #IntelMight 1, 2023
It shouldn’t be stunning for anybody with their fingers on the heart beat; Intel has plans to launch an entire new CPU structure (hopefully this yr) below the ‘Meteor Lake’ codename, and a current benchmark outcome discovered within the check outcomes database of technique recreation Ashes of the Singularity revealed a mysterious processor named the Intel Core Extremely 5 1003H.
So, Intel may very well be dropping the ‘i’ – and changing it with Extremely. After all, this might merely be a codename, or we would see Extremely and non-Extremely variations of Meteor Lake processors. Notably, we would get at the very least another ‘i’ technology earlier than this huge rebrand hits, with some leaks indicating that Intel’s 14th-gen Core CPUs gained’t completely use the brand new structure.
Pointless confusion?
I’ve to ask, Intel: why this? Why now? Certain, Meteor Lake does characterize a recent begin for its processor merchandise, however the ‘Core’ branding is evidently sticking round, so why lose the ‘i’? Judging by the leaked CPU identify, Intel doesn’t plan to drop the three/5/7/9 ‘tier’ numerals for its chips both.
If this leak is correct – and it may properly quantity to nothing, with the rebrand giving us one thing completely completely different – I actually need to query the logic behind it. ‘Extremely’ isn’t precisely an authentic identify, in spite of everything.
Telephone producers like to shove the phrase into product names to point that you simply’re getting a ‘souped-up’ model of the cellphone. ‘Extremely HD’ is frequent parlance for 4K decision on the subject of shows. And, maybe most critically, Apple – which is now a key competitor for Intel within the processor area – is utilizing the moniker in its personal high-end SoCs just like the M1 Extremely.
So far as I’m involved, it’s second solely to slapping ‘Professional’ on the top of a product identify within the ‘rubbish tech naming conventions’ race. Even setting apart my dislike of the time period, huge rebrands usually pose the danger of merely being complicated for customers.
Intel’s ‘i’ branding has been round for a very long time now – greater than 20 years, the truth is. It’s grow to be synonymous with Intel’s identify: the corporate doesn’t even capitalize the primary letter of its identify in logos and branding materials. To ditch it could be a serious transfer, and customers with solely a restricted diploma of familiarity with Intel merchandise (say, understanding that an i9 is healthier than an i5) may find yourself not sure of the place they stand.
Hey, this may very well be no huge deal. Perhaps Intel desires to shake up its numbering conventions as a substitute (which might additionally suck). Perhaps even ‘Core’ goes away. ‘Intel Inside’ was a masterstroke of name campaigning, however it didn’t final ceaselessly. All issues change, and maybe it’s time for one thing new. All these ‘i’s might be misplaced in time, like tears in rain…
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