Intel initially planned to launch its Panther Lake processors in 2025 but has pushed the release to early 2026. This delay was recently confirmed at an event in China, aligning with earlier rumors about postponing the next generation of Intel’s CPUs.
During the presentation, Intel shared the roadmap for its Core Ultra lineup. It starts with the first-generation Meteor Lake, followed by Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake (for desktops), which comprise the second generation, and then leads to Panther Lake. While Intel hasn’t officially named it the Core Ultra 300 series, speculation suggests this could be its designation.
Panther Lake arrives in 2025 only for manufacturers
According to the source responsible for the publication, Intel plans to ship Panther Lake chips to its partners in October this year, though in limited quantities. Recent rumors suggest that this rollout will resemble the Lunar Lake launch rather than the larger-scale distribution seen with Meteor Lake.
Once these chips reach notebook manufacturers, the Core Ultra 300 processors will become available to consumers in the first quarter of 2026, likely in January. Panther Lake will debut Intel’s new 18A (angstrom) lithography process, marking a significant advancement in semiconductor manufacturing.
At the event in China, Intel did not disclose details about AI performance (measured in TOPS), despite AI capabilities being a key focus of this processor lineup, AI PC. These AI-powered notebooks will compete in the market alongside models featuring AMD Ryzen and Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors.
