Intel Corporation (INTC): This Will Be Important To Watch

Intel and tablet growth

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has a new chip designed for a new generation of laptops and ultrabooks. The new chip, dubbed ‘Haswell,’ will replace the current Ivy Bridge architecture. Just like Ivy Bridge, Haswell will make use of the 22-nm process node. However, it has some key differentiating factors that, if marketed properly, could create a unique and compelling selling point for Intel.

One key selling point for Haswell is its battery life. Going by what Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) said, Haswell will present the greatest generation-to generation battery life improvement in the company’s history. A Haswell-powered ultrabook is expected to run for more than nine hours without charging.

In addition, Haswell-powered devices are expected to pack a greater punch when it comes to graphics. Considering that ultrabooks and tablets have a somewhat similar form factor, convincing consumers to buy ultrabooks on selling points such as battery and graphics is possible.

Support from industry peers

In addition, I believe that players such as Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will root for Haswell. Microsoft’s Windows 8 received a muted response and has failed to catch on as expected. Latching onto Intel may be a good play for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). As it is, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding its Windows 8 operating system, which to date, lacks concrete sales figures.

Since its debut half a year ago the only license sales figures released to the public have been the 40 million license sales in late November 2012 and the 60 million license sales in January. To add insult to injury, IDC saddled the PC’s downturn during the first three months of the year on Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The research firm argues that Windows 8’s complicated interface caused users to shy away.

Microsoft will therefore throw its weight behind Intel as it pushes forward with Haswell in early June. Haswell is not an immediate solution, but if packaged well, could change the lopsided PC-tablet battle, thereby reversing Intel’s fortunes.

The article Intel’s Reinvention Is Coming Sooner Than Expected originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Lennox Yieke.

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