Your next laptop could get wild – if Intel's new chip can finally beat Apple
Receive the latest mobile news
Subscribe
By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy
Intel has announced performance metrics for its upcoming 14A silicon process node in San Jose . The Intel Foundry's aim is Apple silicon, and most particularly, Apple's M4 chip. The company is seeing both performance and power efficiency improvements but has yet to launch a chip that competes on both metrics.However, this may change soon. In the fall, Intel is expected to launch its first chips using the 18A process, and in 2027, the company is set to unleash its A14 process which helps it achieve increased power and efficiency.Now, the 14A silicon process node's performance metrics are looking quite promising, and may bring Intel closer to competing better with Apple's first-party chips.Basically, the Intel 14A is a silicon wafer process node operating at 1.4 nanometers for its smallest component. When you have smaller transistors on a wafer, this generally means you can make faster chips. Right now, the current computer hardware is generally constructed using 3nm to 5nm wafers.And yep, a chip made with a 1.4nm wafer is significantly faster than one made with a 3nm process.Well, what does this mean in numbers? According to Intel's testing and projections, the 14A process will give 25-35% better power consumption than the upcoming 18A process (which uses a 1.8nm process node).Also, the 14A chips are also likely to experience a 15-20% performance per watt increase over the 18A ones. Intel is also planning to include some new features with the 14A node, like the introduction of turbo cells (this would be a new design approach aiming to provide maximum CPU frequency and boost performance in the GPU).The new process node chips are expected to enter full production in 2027. They could be a game changer for Intel to catch up to Apple and compete with the Cupertino chips. But for now, Intel will have the 18A chips to try to match the M5 this fall.Apple's M5 series chips are expected soon. They could come as early as next month, and they are reportedly going to be using a TSMC 3nm process node, similar to the M3 and M4. This fall, Intel will debut its first 18A (1.8nm) chips to answer Apple's challenge, with the Intel's Panther Lake mobile CPU.The chip is likely going to be known as the Intel Core Ultra 300 series. It is expected to be a successor to Intel's Lunar Lake, at least when it comes to power efficiency and mighty GPU performance.The 18A node is said to bring 25% more performance at 36% lower power than the current 3 node. Also, the Intel 18A would be the first silicon wafer process node that supports backside power delivery, which is an industry first.Apple is a tough nut to crack though. It's excellent when it comes to laptop performance and battery life. The thing is, when Intel's chips beat Apple in performance, they lose in battery life and vice versa, but so far, they haven't been able to cover both super important aspects of a laptop.Meanwhile, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite is so far the only chipset for Windows machines that can close the gap more to Apple's M series, but... well, it doesn't have proper gaming support.Apple is expected to move to TSMC's 2nm process node for the M6 chip, which is expected in late Spring 2026, or even later. Well, we also have the 14A by Intel expected in 2027. Things are looking quite hopeful for laptop buyers: you know, after all, there's a clear winner in all these competitions: and it is us, the buyers.Let's see what Intel has in store to challenge Apple and its first-party laptop processors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
an hour ago
- GSM Arena
WWDC 2025: What to expect
WWDC 2025 is just around the corner, taking place tomorrow (June 9), and the rumors so far suggest it's going to be an exciting event. The event where Apple unveils its latest software developments will also see some hardware products. Here's a rumor roundup to give you up to speed with what you can expect. Software updates A last minute report revealed Apple will likely change the naming scheme of its operating systems. So instead of iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, the company is launching iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 to better align them with the current year. Since the next-generation iOS and iPadOS usually arrive towards the end the year, we are looking at 26 rather than 25. Potential iOS 26 design Aside from the name change, iOS is expected to come with a total redesign, perhaps the biggest change since iOS 7. The new look is inspired by Apple Vision Pro's interface with round app icons, translucent menus, glassy floating buttons, pill-shaped bottom navigation bars, and more consistent cross-platform design. Expect pop-out menus for more options, updated widgets on Lock and Home Screens with new look. Some under-the-hood changes are also expected. For instance, AI will be leveraged to improve the battery management. The Shortcuts app will be powered by AI too. Meanwhile, the iPad is tipped to receive new multitasking features to make it more Mac-like. And the Apple Pencil is getting a standalone calligraphy pen mode. The upcoming macOS, likely named Tahoe, will get an updated look to match the iOS 26 design language. It will also bring a new gaming app and better AirPods feature integration. The watchOS and tvOS will get a fresh new look to align with the new design language, and just like macOS, they will probably get AirPods live translation integration, and Apple TV will come with the new gaming app. As for visionOS, it's rumored to get a new eye-scrolling feature for documents and Magic Wand support for third-party controllers. Apple will expand AI-based translation across all Apple products and add live translation for phone calls and text messages. AI enhancements and deeper integration into system apps and features are also expected. Hardware updates On the hardware front, Apple is expected to showcase a redesigned Mac Pro, which will be the first redesign since the company started using its own chips. Finally, the cheese grater design is going away! HomePod is getting a display, making it easier to control HomeKit devices. It will also feature Siri, deep integration with Apple TV and support a number of AI-powered features for home automation. AirTags are also getting an update, but the exact improvements in the hardware are still a mystery. Although it's highly unlikely that we see new AirPods, Apple is rumored to introduce new features like a head gesture to control calls and messages, auto-pause music when falling asleep, camera control trigger, "studio-quality" microphone mode and improved pairing experience for shared AirPods. Last but not least, reports suggest Apple is implementing an AI-powered live translation feature. What are you most excited about? Share with us in the comments section below!
Phone Arena
5 hours ago
- Phone Arena
This upcoming Apple promo could be your best chance to save before the fall semester
Apple is preparing to launch its annual back-to-school promotion in the United States, with this year's deal set to go live on June 17. As with previous years, the company will offer gift cards alongside its existing education discounts on select Mac and iPad purchases. The timing lines up with Apple's usual summer playbook. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, this year's campaign will follow the same structure seen in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Buyers eligible for Apple's education pricing — including students, parents, faculty, and staff — will receive a gift card when purchasing qualifying products. The exact value of the gift cards has yet to be officially confirmed, but in past years, Apple has offered between $100 and $150 with MacBook models and around $50 to $100 with iPads. Eligible devices typically include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, though some exclusions may promotion will be layered on top of Apple's standard education store pricing, which already reduces the cost of eligible products by a small margin. For example, a base-model MacBook Air may be priced about $100 lower through the education store compared to the regular retail price. Together with the gift card, this can bring meaningful savings — especially for students preparing for the upcoming academic year. M4 iPad Pro. | Image credit — PhoneArena Apple's back-to-school program is also a strategic push to drive hardware sales during the typically slower summer season. The company often refreshes its Mac and iPad lineups earlier in the year to ensure newer models are available during the promo window. While no major new hardware is expected to drop in June, Apple has already updated its iPad Pro and iPad Air lines in the will be able to access the deal through Apple's online education storefront or by visiting Apple Store locations in the US. Proof of eligibility is usually required, and Apple uses a third-party verification service to confirm student or educator status. The offer is expected to run through early September, giving shoppers several weeks to take advantage of the deal ahead of the fall semester. We will be sure to post any updates once the deals go live, but let us know in the comments below you already have something in mind you'd like to purchase from Apple taking advantage of the back to school promotion.
Phone Arena
6 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Apple shaking up carrier promos for iPhone, will allow damaged devices and other exceptions
Sales for Apple devices, including the iPhone 16, have been sluggish due to a myriad of factors currently in play. To counter that, the company is going to announce some major changes to how it handles carrier promotions and deals at its retail stores from June insider Mark Gurman — in the latest edition of his newsletter Power On — reports that the company is relaxing its stance on carrier promos to help boost sales. He expects that this change will net Apple almost double the number of promotions at its retail stores have usually only allowed carrier deals where a customer would have to turn in an old device in good condition. If the company deemed it too damaged, the promotion would be off the table. In addition, deals without required trade-ins, as well as deals for turning in damaged devices, were not accepted. Gurman claims that Apple is even going to allow devices with an appraised value of zero Dollars from June 26. Carrier promotions that don't require any devices to be traded in will also be honored from now on. Turning in your iPhone 16 for the iPhone 17 will net you some credit, though. | Video credit — Apple This is, in my eyes, yet another way that Apple is being forced to diversify and stop clinging to its old ways. The 'walled garden' ecosystem has already come crashing down in regions like the E.U. because of laws like the DMA ( Digital Markets Act ). Apple users in the E.U. can sideload apps, change default app choices, and use third-party NFC payments, amongst other new features. Having to allow more carrier promotions and deals to boost sales was inevitable, perhaps, given the state of the industry. Apple is already considering raising the prices of the upcoming iPhone 17 series to combat the uncertainty of tariff rates. While U.S. carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have always offered these promotions at their stores, it'd be nice to have Apple accept them at its own stores as well. Phone manufacturers may also have to get used to American consumers upgrading less often, and opting for older phones instead, due to the current economic situation. But perhaps these companies had already prepared for this in advance, considering that they now offer five or more years of software support for their newest phones.
