Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pro refresh was an impressive one, where the company has significantly boosted the performance of their latest laptops, as well as finally introducing the ability for users to configure up to 32GB of RAM if they wanted. However for those holding out for the next refresh, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s almost a guarantee that they’ll be powered by Intel’s 8th gen processors.
This is because Intel has officially announced (via 9to5Mac) its 8th gen Core processors in the form of Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake, which according to Intel has been designed for thin and light laptops in mind. According to Intel, the Whiskey Lake U-series of processors include the i7-8565U, i5-8265U, i3-8145U, the former two being quad-core processors while the latter is a dual-core clocked at 2GHz.
As for the Amber Lake Y-series of processors, this will include the i7-8500, i5-8200Y, and m3-8100Y. They aren’t quite as feature-packed compared to the U-series, but they are expected to offer “extended battery life”. While Intel does not mention where their chipsets will be used, it has been speculated that the U-series will most likely make their way into the next MacBook Air refresh, while the Y-series will probably end up in the 12-inch MacBook which hasn’t been refreshed for a while.