Intel Athena Laptops
We’ve spent the day with Intel in Taipei checking out their latest ethos for the next generation of laptops. For lack of a better term in my mind, they’re ultra-ultra-books. Or perhaps even the long-awaited PC 2. I jest, as the new standards they’re putting in place are pretty impressive, and could usher in a rather exciting new generation of mobile computing. Even if I’m sure you’ve heard all that before.
Intel Details Project Athena
At the press event we attended earlier, Intel detailed a lot more about Athena. It’s basically rethinking what a laptop can be. Rather than focus on just making things thinner and lighter, just making them better all around. Not that thin and lighter systems won’t still be a focus for their partner brands. Much lower power consumption for all-day performance, greatly improved connectivity with 5G, and even AI integrated workflow and system awareness.
What Devices Can We Expect?
Intel tells us that the first devices will hit the market in the second half of 2019. Of course, I think that means we’ll see some at Computex 2019 at the end of this month. The big focus will be on 2020 though, no doubt to help line up with 5G launches in more regions. For now, the main focus seems to be on laptops, but may not be exclusive to that form factor.
Who Will Release Laptops?
All the big name players, this isn’t just some special one-off launch. It’s a set of rules brands can follow, and get certified for meeting. This is much like the Ultrabook ecosystem. Big names like Dell, HP, etc, will allow be in there. Then specialist brands like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte are no doubt going to follow suit.
Who Are They For?
If you live a highly mobile lifestyle, and your laptop is your primary PC, it’ll most likely appeal to you the most. If you work on the go, as a lot of people do, there are a lot of benefits here. Ultra long battery life, improved productivity, advanced connectivity, and all the usual PC buzzwords are confidently checked off.
How Much Will They Cost?
They’re not going to be “cheap” as they fall into the prosumer and business classes right now. Expect prices to be from around $800 and above. No doubt we’ll get more information on this at Computex 2019 also.
