• Intel’s Panther Lake lineup will not come to shoppers till Q1 2026, in accordance with a leaked presentation slide
• This comes after the anticipated full launch in late 2025, however that’s just for the Early Enablement Program
• Rumors recommend the delay is because of Intel’s 18A manufacturing course of

Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Extremely 200 processors are already right here, current throughout highly effective laptops (such because the MSI Status EVO AI+ lineup) and handhelds (notably the MSI Claw 8 AI+). Now, it is time to stay up for Workforce Blue’s Panther Lake lineup – however it might not come as quickly as initially promised.

As reported by VideoCardz, a leaked slide from a particular occasion in China has seemingly revealed that Intel’s Panther Lake processors will not launch till Q1 2026, whereas its EEP (Early Enablement Program) will begin later this 12 months in preparation. That is opposite to former interim CEO Michelle Holthaus’ earlier affirmation of the lineup’s launch and availability within the second half of 2025, indicating a delay. Finally, it means shoppers might have to attend till 2026 to get their arms on Intel Panther Lake-powered merchandise.

Causes for the delay reportedly stem from difficulties with managing Workforce Blue’s 18A manufacturing course of by way of the unique manufacturing schedule. It is not precisely clear why this delay is in place, but when the setback is critical sufficient, it might have an effect on Intel’s placement available in the market (particularly up towards AMD).

We all know that AMD nonetheless has its Ryzen AI 400 sequence processors set to be introduced, and we nonetheless do not know if it should launch across the similar time as Intel’s Panther Lake.

It is also value noting that Workforce Crimson’s Ryzen AI 300 sequence APUs have already made big leaps in processing energy, notably the Ryzen AI 395+ Max – so if its new lineup does arrive in Q1 2026, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see the way it gala’s towards the Panther Lake chips utilizing the Xe3 structure.

What does this imply for handheld gaming PCs?

With Intel’s Core Extremely 7 258V processor, we have seen the brand new MSI Claw 8 AI+ (the identical chip can also be utilized in Dell’s XPS 13 laptop computer) work wonders at offering big enhancements in gaming – particularly compared to the earlier MSI Claw A1M. Spoiler: it wasn’t good.

With Panther Lake processors now on the (considerably distant) horizon, I am hopeful that we will get even stronger gaming ultrabooks and handheld gaming PCs based mostly on these new chips. Intel’s Technical Advertising Vice President, Robert Hallock, confirmed Workforce Blue’s plans to assist gaming handhelds (as reported by LaptopMag) and this might work completely for competitors.

AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Excessive is slated for ‘early 2025’ as part of the Ryzen AI 300 sequence household – it will likely be used for handhelds just like the Lenovo Legion Go 2 (nonetheless a prototype), however it’s nonetheless not clear when that can launch. It additionally appears as if it should rival the Core Extremely 7 258V processor, which can find yourself being a great indication of how each Workforce Crimson and Workforce Blue’s upcoming lineups might carry out towards one another.