Having been in use since the 90s, Intel has decided to drop the names of its famed Celeron and Pentium brand names for low-end processors. The semiconductor giant is replacing both brand names for low-end laptop chips in favour of a much simpler name to launch in 2023. It isn’t the most exciting or imaginative name, but new low-end chips will be known as Intel Processor. According to Intel VP Josh Newman, this move will help to “simplify” their processor line-up.
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The Core, Evo and vPro labels will stick around. Intel didn’t say how it will handle branding for desktop processors, which still include Celeron and Pentium models released this year. We’ve asked the company for comment and will let you know if we hear back.
While Celeron has been synonymous with low-end since its inception, the same isn’t true for Pentium. I still remember building my first PC as a teenager and spending my entire life savings on the latest Pentium II processor, top of the line. But as Intel moved to their new Core line-up for their flagship chips, Pentium was relegated to the low-end. During that phase, it was very difficult for the average person to understand what the difference between the Celeron and Pentium chips were, however, making the current simplification much needed.
So, from 2023, if you don’t see “Core,” it’s a basic model. And let’s be honest — people shopping for entry-level laptops aren’t hunting for specific branding like their enthusiast counterparts. Here, pricing and base functionality are more important.
“Whether for work or play, the importance of the PC has only become more apparent as the torrid pace of technological development continues to shape the world. Intel is committed to driving innovation to benefit users, and our entry-level processor families have been crucial for raising the PC standard across all price points. The new Intel Processor branding will simplify our offerings so users can focus on choosing the right processor for their needs,” Newman said.
