This afternoon Intel officially announced additions to the 8th Gen Intel Core processor family: The U-series (formerly code-named Whiskey Lake) and Y-series (formerly code-named Amber Lake) are optimized for connectivity in thin, light laptops and 2 in 1s for the first time, while also providing ultimate mobile performance and long battery life.

Chris Walker, vice president of the Client Computing Group and general manager of Intel Mobile Client Platform: "The new 8th Gen Intel Core processors extend once again our leadership in delivering exceptional performance. Now with Gigabit Wi-Fi, we've enabled faster PC connectivity, added more intuitive voice experiences and enabled longer battery life needed for the next wave of mobile computing."

Delivering Gigabit Wi-Fi to thin and light mainstream laptops for the first time means delivering up to 12-times faster connectivity speeds. They also offer up to 2-times better performance, compared with a 5-year-old PC, and double-digit gains in office productivity for everyday web browsing and light content creation over the previous generation.

Consumers will now be able to download their favorite shows and movies in under a minute, create, edit and share 4K/360 video content 6.5-times faster, and stream and play games.

Both the U-series and Y-series processors have new and improved platform capabilities for more intelligent interactions with PCs, such as support for multiple voice services on the U-series and refinements to improve natural input options like touch and stylus for the Y-series.

Patently Apple just posted a report today titled "Microsoft Invents a Bi-Manual Pen and Touch System that will Vastly Improve the Pen Experience on Mobile Devices." The invention applies to smartphones, tablets and 2-in-1's.

Intel further notes that the new processors deliver incredible performance in power-efficient platforms. With the new U-series processors, laptops and 2 in 1s get the extra leap in performance while also lasting up to 16 hours on a single charge, with power-optimized systems targeted to achieve about 19 hours.

Devices with the new U-series processor can also support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. Together, the fusion of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos transform PCs into entertainment powerhouses. Apple noted in June at their worldwide developer conference that they were going to support Dolby Atmos in Apple TV and likely to expand that to macOS.

For the record, these CPUs do not feature hardware Meltdown/Spectre fixes but will offer new software solutions/fixes.   

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