Intel Delays 7-Nanometer Chips Until Late 2022 or Early 2023
During its second quarter earnings announcement, Intel today said that it has delayed the rollout of its 7-nanometer chips by six months, which pushes the release date to late 2022 or early 2023 (via Tom's Hardware).
Intel's yields for its 7nm process are now twelve months behind its internal target. From Intel's earnings release:
The company's 7nm-based CPU product timing is shifting approximately six months relative to prior expectations. The primary driver is the yield of Intel's 7nm process, which based on recent data, is now trending approximately twelve months behind the company's internal target.
Intel CEO Bob Swan in the Q2 2020 earnings call said that Intel identified a "defect mode" in the 7nm process and has invested in "contingency plans" that include external third-party foundries. At the end of the call, Swan said that he's "not happy" with Intel's 7nm performance. Intel was originally aiming to release 7nm chips in 2021.
While the new 7nm process is in development, Intel plans to launch 10nm-based "Tiger Lake" chips in the near future, and the company's 10nm-based server CPU "Ice Lake" is on track for launch later this year. A new line of client CPUs codenamed "Alder Lake" will launch in the second half of 2021, which will include its first 10nm-based desktop CPU.
Intel has struggled with multiple yield issues over the years, which has led to chip delays and roadmap changes. Intel's issues are perhaps one of the reasons that Apple has decided to ditch Intel chips in favor of its own Arm-based chip technology for Macs. Apple has in the past been forced to delay updates or use older chips because of delays in Intel's production plans.
Starting this year, Apple is transitioning the Mac lineup to its own Apple Silicon chips, with the first Mac processors to be based on the 5-nanometer A14 chips in the works for the 2020 iPhone lineup.
Apple hasn't provided details on which Macs will get Apple Silicon chips first, but rumors suggest the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air models could be updated with the new chips before the end of the year. Apple says it will take two years to transition away from Intel chips entirely.
Popular Stories
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support.
Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital."
In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh:
iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design.
The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research.
The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads.
As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Latest Rumors
These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6.
Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
