No, Intel's Lunar Lake CPUs Are Not Delayed: What You Need to Know

Intel’s highly anticipated Lunar Lake CPUs appear to be facing delays, according to a report from DigiTimes, a source that specializes in semiconductor news. The report indicates that shipments of these chips are now expected in September, a shift from the originally planned June release. However, Intel has provided a different perspective.

Initially, Intel announced that Lunar Lake CPUs would debut between July and September of this year, specifically emphasizing their availability ahead of the holiday shopping season. If June had indeed been the initial timeline, we would likely have received more detailed information by now. It now seems that September was the intended target from the start.

When contacted for clarity, Intel confirmed, "Lunar Lake will be available starting in Q3 '24, as noted at Computex — just in time for the holiday shopping season."

Though Lunar Lake isn’t technically delayed, it will arrive later than competing options from Qualcomm and AMD. Intel’s Lunar Lake processors are designed for the new Copilot+ PCs but will be the last to hit the market. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip has already made its debut in laptops, while AMD plans to release its Ryzen AI 300 CPUs in July. While Intel hasn't officially stated that Lunar Lake will arrive in September, this has become the prevailing expectation.

As the processors are anticipated for Q3—between July and September—it appears unlikely they will launch as soon as next month. While Intel has shared insights into the "radical low-power architecture" behind Lunar Lake, detailed specifications remain elusive, with no model numbers disclosed yet.

Intel has provided some general performance insights in comparison to the Snapdragon X Elite and AMD’s previous-gen CPUs. However, we expect more comprehensive information about the processors and their capabilities as the launch date approaches. One crucial detail yet to be revealed is the power draw, which will be significant when assessed against the efficiency of the Snapdragon X Elite.

Despite the lack of specifics about Lunar Lake, devices powered by this new generation of chips are already emerging, including a new version of the MSI Claw handheld set to feature a Lunar Lake CPU.