An open letter from the interim CEO of Intel advises some progress is being made for its 10-nanometer processors, but volume production of chips using the process will still wait until 2019, alongside a notice of $1 billion in 14-nanometer production investments and a warning it will also be prioritizing production of high-performance chips over processors for entry-level devices.
Mac users have an even longer wait for new iMacs and MacBook Pro models using 'Cannon Lake' chips, after Intel confirmed the 10-nanometer processors aiming for high-end computers won't arrive any sooner than the 2019 holiday shopping period.
Details about the capabilities of Intel's "Cannon Lake" processors have finally surfaced, and the chip family will ultimately allow Apple to add a 32-gigabyte RAM option to its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines.
Apple customers waiting for a MacBook Pro with 32 gigabytes of memory may have to wait until 2019 before they can buy the notebook, after Intel's warning that its 10nm "Cannon Lake" processors won't be shipping in high volumes in 2018, pushing the wider availability of the chip into 2019.
Supply chain sources suggest that the Intel Cannon Lake processor needed to drive 32GB of RAM in a MacBook Pro without the need of a dedicated memory controller has slipped to the end of 2018, likely pushing any MacBook Pro with the configuration that far away as well.
Intel launched its 8th-generation processors on Monday, starting with the with the new 'U-series' chips for notebooks boasting a 40 percent performance boost compared to the previous generation, though while this series is suitable for use in MacBooks and the dual-core MacBook Pro, it won't help provide users with a 32GB memory option.
Cannon Lake, Intel's 10nm evolution of Core processors, could arrive later than initially believed, after comments by a company executive suggest delays in development and mass production of the new processor — potentially endangering a rumored 32 GB MacBook Pro release in 2017
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Malcolm Owen
Mike Wuerthele
