Intel has introduced its first processor utilizing the 18A manufacturing process as it seeks to enhance its position following AMD’s growing market share and a quarterly loss of $3 billion. The Panther Lake chip processor architecture was revealed on Thursday at Intel’s Arizona facility, identified as a key element in the company’s strategy to rejuvenate growth in the AI computer sector. CEO Lip-Bu Tan emphasized that the Intel AI chip set for release in 2025 is crucial for regaining lost market presence. The Core Ultra Series 3 processors, internally referred to as the Panther Lake processors, will be Intel’s inaugural consumer products based on the 18A process.
Deliveries from Fab 52 in Chandler, Arizona, are anticipated for late 2025, with broader availability expected in January 2026. Intel’s announcement aligns with its domestic strategy. “The United States has always been the home of Intel’s most technologically advanced research and development, product design, and manufacturing. It is our pleasure to continue building on this heritage while expanding our operations in the U.S. and bringing innovative products to markets,” stated Tan. This development comes amid ongoing economic challenges faced by Intel’s Foundry division, which reported operating losses of $3.2 billion on revenues of $4.4 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The company is actively pursuing a broader recovery strategy and cost-control measures as part of its transformation efforts.
Notably, this month, the White House invested $11.1 billion in Intel by acquiring a 9.9 percent stake through the purchase of 433.3 million shares. This investment aims to provide Intel with sufficient resources to invest in cutting-edge technologies and sustain its operations. Competition in the AI chip market is intensifying, with Apple’s latest Silicon laptops achieving impressive performance compared to previous Intel i9 chips. Additionally, AMD is significantly increasing its share in the desktop CPU market, capturing 32.2 percent of unit shares and 39.3 percent of revenue shares in the second quarter of 2025, diminishing Intel’s dominance from a 9:1 ratio to about 2:1.