Intel CEO 'Guarantees' Broadwell Chips by This Holiday Season

[MacRumors]

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has stated that Intel's next-generation Broadwell processors will launch during this holiday season, reports Reuters (via MacG).

"I can guarantee for holiday, and not at the last second of holiday," Krzanich said in an interview. "Back to school - that's a tight one. Back to school you have to really have it on-shelf in July, August. That's going to be tough."

Originally expected to launch in Q3 2014, Krzanich noted that new manufacturing technologies are responsible for the delays surrounding Broadwell, but maintained that Intel is now on schedule to ship its new chips to manufacturers later this year. The statement comes after a leaked Intel roadmap surfaced this past February, which appeared to show an uncertain timetable for Apple's 2014 Mac updates.

A leaked Intel roadmap for 28-watt chips appropriate for 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro​

​

With Intel's Broadwell chips launching near the end of this year however, it is possible that Apple could either choose to wait until next year to integrate Broadwell chips into the Retina MacBook Pro or launch updated models with slightly faster Haswell chips. Apple updated its standard models of the MacBook Air last month with a faster 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor while cutting the price by $100.

It is also possible that Intel's new Broadwell chips could be used in the rumored 12-inch MacBook Air, which may coexist alongside or replace the current MacBook Air line. However, it is uncertain which specific chips Apple would use for the new notebook, as prior reports have pointed to the machine coming out towards the end of the third quarter.

As far as a next-generation iMac goes, Apple could also choose to hold off on an update until the appropriate Broadwell chips are out. However, a report last month claimed that Intel's faster Haswell desktop CPUs could arrive in May, with Apple perhaps launching updates sooner rather than later.

Apple is also rumored to have a low-cost iMac in the works, which could utilize more cost-efficient chips. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the low-cost desktop computer could boost sales in critical foreign markets and increase shipments by up to 30 percent.

Article Link: Intel CEO 'Guarantees' Broadwell Chips by This Holiday Season

 

[maflynn]

Still that's not much time for companies like Apple to roll out new products, even if he promises that its not going to be the last second of the holiday.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Still that's not much time for companies like Apple to roll out new products, even if he promises that its not going to be the last second of the holiday.

Hopefully Apple will be aware of the timeframe/expected release date, and then can simply slot in the new chips instead of the old ones for their iMac update (along with a few other things).

I'm oversimplifying of course, but with any luck it shouldn't take Apple by surprise, or cause delays on updating their desktop/portable lines.

 

[Nozuka]

Intel and Apple have been working very close lately, i'm sure Apple knows the exact timeframe.

That Intel guy doesn't go into specifics what Chips to expect though, mobile chips might still come at a later date.

 

[TechGod]

Well this is good news. Hope apple can do something and upgrade the MBP's in time. I have a early 2011 I wanna replace...

 

[SethBoy]

What’s the roadmap like after Broadwell? Got a 6-year-old MacBook Pro I’d like to replace with a 15" rMBP, but I’m not sure if I should skip one more generation.

 

[rmatthewware]

I imagine Apple already has a handful of chips for testing. That seems to have been the case in the past.

 

[Jambalaya]

Sounds to me like 2015 before we these chips in Apple computers in any significant numbers across the range.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Hopefully Apple will be aware of the timeframe/expected release date

I am quite sure that Apple doesn't get its tech news for new components, from Macrumors and the like...

 

[opeter]

What about the Mac mini?

 

[bobob]

Apple had the Haswell chips in the MBA pretty much the day they became available, and then had a 6 month jump on most other ultrabook manufacturers.

I wonder if the Broadwell roll-out will be similar?

 

[michaelsviews]

What about the Mac mini?

No Love for the mini

Maybe there going to drop it all together

 

[casperes1996]

My guess.

What about the Mac mini?

If I were to guess, I'd say that a new one will be shown at WWDC with a Haswell refresh chip, and it'll be a silent upgrade to Broadwell later.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Looks like my new 15" MBP with Iris Pro 2 will arrive on my doorstep this Christmas

 

[maflynn]

Looks like my new 15" MBP with Iris Pro 2 will arrive on my doorstep this Christmas

Hopefully, but Apple has taken several months to release an update to the laptop line after Intel releases a new chipset. I'm not sure if they'll push hard to get an update out the door before Christmas

 

[hydr]

12" retina macbook air made out of liquidmetal, with sapphire infused IGZO retina display with touch! (1/4th power of regular lcd) and broadwell 28watt processor. radical new design, only 840grams. battery life: 15 hours. performance on par with macbook pro retina. thickness: 1cm. PCI-e SSD 1GB/s read/write 256GB standard. two thunderbolt II, 1 USB 3 and TouchID. pre-order from june 17th - delivery expected august. $1999USD.

 

[thekev]

What’s the roadmap like after Broadwell? Got a 6-year-old MacBook Pro I’d like to replace with a 15" rMBP, but I’m not sure if I should skip one more generation.

Broadwell involves a process shrink, so it may have more hangups than a redesign of something based off the same process size. You won't see something like a 6 month window between architectures though. I doubt it will drop much below a year if they shorten the sales window at all.

 

[avanpelt]

Best way to increase the likelihood of a delay is for the CEO of a company to make a "guarantee". I've seen it happen too many times.

 

[JosephAW]

And when they fail to meet the guaranteed timeline like IBM then what? Roll out to A7 chips?

 

[maflynn]

And when they fail to meet the guaranteed timeline like IBM then what? Roll out to A7 chips?

Totally different circumstances.

Back then Apple was about to go to Intel, but IBM promised the G5, which could ramp up to 3Ghz (back during the Ghz wars) and have a compelling mobile chip. They never got either and Apple circled back to Intel. There's no viable alternative and the A7 in't the solution either.

 

[thekev]

And when they fail to meet the guaranteed timeline like IBM then what? Roll out to A7 chips?

There's an idea. When they fail to meet the deadline, migrate to slower chips.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I am quite sure that Apple doesn't get its tech news for new components, from Macrumors and the like...

I agree, they'll get it from Intel directly -- sorry if the 'hopefully' caused any ambiguity!

 

[kahkityoong]

Small Haswell spec bump made more enticing with a price reduction (like the 2014 MacBook Airs) would keep things ticking over nicely till Broadwell arrives.

 

[Steve121178]

I imagine Apple already has a handful of chips for testing. That seems to have been the case in the past.

Yes of course. Intel would have provided Apple with Broadwell samples as far back as the middle of last year.

 

[keysofanxiety]

12" retina macbook air made out of liquidmetal, with sapphire infused IGZO retina display with touch! (1/4th power of regular lcd) and broadwell 28watt processor. radical new design, only 840grams. battery life: 15 hours. performance on par with macbook pro retina. thickness: 1cm. PCI-e SSD 1GB/s read/write 256GB standard. two thunderbolt II, 1 USB 3 and TouchID. pre-order from june 17th - delivery expected august. $1999USD.

You forgot 'MagSafe 3'.

"Once again, we made stuff even thinner, and didn't think ahead with MagSafe 2. So we're selling yet another proprietary connector and making our chargers less durable in the process."