Intel Confirms Future Product Plans at Goldman Sachs Technology Conference
At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, Intel reaffirmed its plan to launch a series of key products and process updates over the next two years. These updates span desktop, mobile, and foundry businesses, signaling the company’s strategy to regain competitiveness in the high-performance market and foundry services.
Desktop & Mobile Processors #
Intel will update its Arrow Lake desktop processors in 2025. This generation will be branded as “Core Ultra Series 2” and will remain compatible with the LGA 1851 socket. Since the initial Arrow Lake performance didn’t meet expectations, Intel hopes this update will fill the desktop performance gap and set the stage for its return to the high-end market.
The real focus, however, is on the Nova Lake desktop CPU, scheduled for a late 2026 release. Launching under the “Core Ultra Series 4” brand, it will use a new LGA 1954 socket and feature up to 52 cores. The first models are expected to target high-end users with unlocked “K” series SKUs, with mainstream, low-power, and mobile versions to follow in 2027. Intel executives stated that Nova Lake will be the key to a full-scale desktop processor revival.
On the mobile front, Intel has a tight product schedule. Panther Lake, part of the “Core Ultra Series 3,” will first appear in OEM devices in late 2025, with more models coming in the first half of 2026. Intel believes that Lunar Lake has already proven the power efficiency of the x86 architecture and dispelled doubts about battery life. Panther Lake will build on this by further improving efficiency and AI acceleration, extending Intel’s lead in the laptop market.
Process Technology & Market Strategy #
Process technology updates were also a major conference topic. Intel reiterated that its 18A node is primarily for internal products, with applications in the 2025 Panther Lake client processors and the Clearwater Forest and Diamond Rapids server chips. As Nova Lake progresses, some desktop and mobile products will also use the 18A process, which means production capacity will directly impact the product roadmap.
In contrast, the 14A process node is more heavily focused on external foundry customers. Intel is engaging with partners during the node’s definition phase, a different approach from the 18A process where customers were only involved during development. By incorporating external feedback earlier, 14A is expected to be better suited for foundry clients in terms of design compatibility and yield. Intel made it clear that the success of this node hinges on deep collaboration with major customers.
At a market level, Intel acknowledged its performance gap in the high-end desktop sector, a gap it plans to close with the Arrow Lake update and the full Nova Lake refresh. However, the company stressed its overall dominance in the PC market, claiming that approximately 7 out of every 10 PCs use an Intel processor, while AMD holds about 2 and ARM holds about 1.
In the notebook market, Intel is optimistic. Lunar Lake’s long battery life and a strong enterprise ecosystem give it a competitive edge, and Panther Lake is expected to further solidify this trend. However, in the data center and AI acceleration markets, Intel remains behind its main competitors. The upcoming Jaguar Shores platform might address this issue, but details are not yet clear, and its ability to close the gap remains to be seen.
Conclusion #
Intel has high hopes for its three-year roadmap: stabilizing the desktop market with Arrow Lake, starting a new era of performance and architecture with Nova Lake, and solidifying its battery life and efficiency advantage in the mobile space with Panther Lake and Lunar Lake. In the foundry business, it plans to satisfy internal and external needs with the 18A and 14A processes, respectively. Its ability to deliver on the “return to leadership” goal during this critical 2026–2027 window will directly determine its position in the high-performance computing and AI industries. The market will be closely watching Intel’s execution and product delivery.