The Intel CES 2024 Client Computing Keynote Live Blog (Starts at 3:30pm PT/23:30 UTC)
With CES’s media day nearing its completion, Intel is hosting the first live, on-site PC-related keynote of the day. Intel Client Computing Group head Michelle Johnston Holthaus is hosting what Intel is calling their “Intel Client Open House Keynote”, which will be covering the many Intel CPU announcements of the day, as well as showcasing the equally numerous laptops and other devices that partners will be releasing over the coming days and weeks.
So come join us at 3:30pm for a look at the latest in client computing from Intel!
06:31PM EST – And wasting no time, here we go
06:31PM EST – Intel is starting things off with a Core Ultra branded promo video
06:32PM EST – And here’s Michelle Holthaus
06:33PM EST – 3 key priorities for Intel
06:33PM EST – 1) Reimagining how they deliver key expierences
06:33PM EST – 2) Investing in driving forward the age of the AI PC (Core Ultra)
06:33PM EST – 3) Locking arms with the OS and IHV partners to deliver innovation across hardware and software
06:34PM EST – “We are kicking off 2024 with a bang”
06:34PM EST – Recapping today’s new Core mobile processor announcements. 14th Gen Core HX for DTRs, and Core (Series 1) U-series for mainstream thin & light
06:34PM EST – Now transitioning to AI
06:34PM EST – “AI is everywhere”
06:35PM EST – Intel launched Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) last month. It’s their first part with an NPU
06:35PM EST – Core Ultra is Intel’s most power effiicient client processor ever
06:35PM EST – Up to 79% better than the competition
06:36PM EST – New CPU core (built on Intel 4) is up to 11% better than the competition
06:36PM EST – “Power. Performance. Graphics. And AI. And we have it all”
06:36PM EST – And thanking Intel’s partners for helping to bring Core Ultra to life
06:37PM EST – Intel wants to bring AI to over 100 million systems by 2025
06:37PM EST – Showing a new, non-traditional device. The MSI Claw gaming handheld
06:38PM EST – Intel considers the handheld market a showcase for power efficiency
06:38PM EST – Also showing off a more traditional laptop with a unit from Samsung
06:38PM EST – 40% better battery life than the previous-generation Galaxy Book 3
06:39PM EST – Intel’s partners will also be delivering EVO and vPro devices using Core Ultra chips
06:39PM EST – Intel will have a lot more to share about commercial offerings in the coming weeks
06:39PM EST – We can expect more than 750 device designs using the Core and Core Ultra processors
06:39PM EST – Many of them are already available at retail
06:40PM EST – AI is a “big, big” part of what makes Core Ultra so important
06:40PM EST – “AI has the potential to impact every aspect of our lives”
06:40PM EST – Intel is all-in on AI that benefits humanity
06:41PM EST – Generative AI in particular is going to “transform the PC”
06:41PM EST – AI PCs will be your complete personal assistant
06:41PM EST – All of which adds up to saving users’ millions and millions of hours
06:42PM EST – Intel believes that the PC is at an inflection point. With external estimates of 19% of PCs shipping with AI capabilities this year
06:42PM EST – Using the CPU, GPU, and NPU together
06:42PM EST – “The true power of AI comes in seeing it in action”
06:43PM EST – (i.e. here come the partner demos)
06:43PM EST – Now on stage: Jim Johnson, SVP of Intel’s client business group
06:43PM EST – Intel launched an AI acceleration program last month to help accelerate users’ experiences
06:44PM EST – Now rolling a brief testamonial video from software partners
06:44PM EST – Now for some Microsoft Copilot demonstrations
06:45PM EST – Showcasing the Copilot (repurposed Menu) key on their Core Ultra notebook
06:45PM EST – Jim is having an image generated by a cloud server while also creating some code for him
06:46PM EST – Product demo: Omnibridge
06:47PM EST – Which is designed to help deaf users communicate
06:47PM EST – They’re doing real-time sign language reading, as well as real-time voice transcription
06:48PM EST – With all of this being run on a Core Ultra laptop
06:48PM EST – “Cloud, and now done locally”
06:48PM EST – And now back to Michelle
06:49PM EST – (Stagehands are bringing out bottles of water. Must be chat time)
06:49PM EST – Now joining Michelle on stage, analyst Patrick Moorhead to talk about AI PCs
06:50PM EST – The hardware needs to be delivered now to get innovation moving with AI PCs
06:51PM EST – Moorhead is “calling a supercycle” starting later this year
06:51PM EST – Several more guests are joining them on stage, including executives from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft
06:52PM EST – Commenting on how rare it is to get this collection of people together
06:52PM EST – The group represents 60% of the PC sales volume
06:53PM EST – Lenovo thinks 2024 is an inflection point for the PC industry
06:54PM EST – “AI PC will bring something completely new”
06:55PM EST – Lenovo is getting ready with what they think will be the broadest PC portfolio in the world
06:56PM EST – They’re also confident that this will trigger an acceleration of the PC replacement cycle. And a moderate expansion of the TAM
06:56PM EST – HP is also very excited as well
06:56PM EST – “This is more than a PC revolution. This will be a computing revolution”
06:57PM EST – “There is so much we’re going to invent and create together”
06:58PM EST – Meanwhile Dell reiterates the idea that it’s an inflection point for the industry. Which brings ample opportunity for innovation
06:59PM EST – People are going to love their PCs with AI built into them
07:00PM EST – As for Microsoft, Copilot is anchoring their thinking
07:00PM EST – Copilot is the marquee experience
07:01PM EST – MS says they’ve received a “tremendous amount” of positive feedback on the key
07:01PM EST – And this is just the beginning
07:02PM EST – MS wants Windows (and PCs) to be the destination for the best AI experiences
07:02PM EST – Which means tweaking the OS to take advantage of both local and cloud resources
07:03PM EST – AI is great for consumers. Interesting for enterprises
07:04PM EST – Now for some new PC bragging
07:04PM EST – Dell starting with a new XPS system. These were announced at the end of last week
07:05PM EST – Edge-to-edge display, a non-physical capacitive function key row, and of course, Core Ultra CPUs
07:07PM EST – Now to HP with their latest Spectre laptop
07:07PM EST – Who wants to make PCs even more personal
07:07PM EST – Moving from a computing device to a personal companion
07:09PM EST – And Lenovo has brought a new Yoga Pro 9i. Their flagship, most powerful consumer device
07:10PM EST – 2kg, 16-inch device
07:12PM EST – Delivering AI PCs to users over the next year will take everyone on the stage; all of Intel’s device and software partners
07:12PM EST – And that’s a wrap on the chat session
07:12PM EST – Now, here’s a quick look at what Intel will be bringing in the later half of the year
07:12PM EST – Arrow Lake coming later this year. First desktop Intel chip with an AI accelerator
07:13PM EST – Meanwhile the next-generation Lunar Lake is making good progress
07:13PM EST – Intel is promising significant IPC improvements in the CPU core, and 3x the AI perf on the GPU and the CPU
07:13PM EST – Already shipping samples to Intel’s partners
07:14PM EST – Meanwhile Core Ultra is ramping now in the market. Shipped millions of units in the last few weeks
07:15PM EST – And that’s a wrap on the client keynote. Thanks for joining us!
