Intel drops ‘i’ in Core branding, adds an ‘Ultra’ tier

Intel is undergoing its most significant brand update in 15 years and has decided to drop the ‘i’ in its processor tiering, including Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9. They will be simply called as Core 3/5/7 for mainstream processors and Core Ultra 5/7/9 for flagships.

The company also decided to drop generational labels from its next Intel Core series of processors, either in marketing or in silicon.

Though the next series of processors (starting with Meteor Lake) won’t be broadly referred to as the 14th generation, the processor number will still mention the specific generation (e.g., ##xxxH). Thus, enthusiasts can still identify the capabilities and generation of a chip by looking up its full alphanumeric identifier.

Furthermore, Intel wants to segment its flagship products from the mainstream ones and plans to sell three tiers: Intel, Intel Core, and Intel Core Ultra.

In an interview with The Verge, Christopher Hirsch, Intel’s director of product branding, discussed how the company’s products were being referred to by the tech press, retailers, OEMs, and partners. Hirsch explains that it was interesting to see how the company’s products were being reduced to a letter and a number.

He goes on to say, “Does ‘i’ represent Apple with iPhone and iPod? Was it simply an unknown? That was one of the costs of people not knowing they’re our products.”

Last year, Intel already ditched the Pentium and Celeron naming to just be called Intel Processors for lower-end parts.

The company also announced that Intel Arc graphics can be paired with both Intel Core Ultra and Intel Core processors.

The new changes apply in 2H 2023 and on the launch of an Intel Core Ultra processor, highlighting a significant shift in architecture and design.