Intel Kaby Lake release date: Chipset shipping as Intel prepares next-gen Cannonlake

[Photo credit: Intel | Facebook]

Previously, it was rumored that Intel was having some issues in production and has to delay the release of its upcoming seventh-gen processor. However, recent reports suggest that Intel may have already solved these concerns and is now shipping out the Kaby Lake chipsets to its partners.

According to Windows Report, Intel already confirmed in a recent earnings call that the new processors are already en route to the company's third-party OEMs. This means that to date, tech makers like HP, Dell, and even Microsoft can already plan ahead and feature the seventh-gen chipset on their new product lineups. Fans have been waiting for this development, particularly those who are waiting for the Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2. Rumors have said that Microsoft is waiting for a confirmed roll-out schedule for Intel Kaby Lake before finalizing their plans for new Surface products.

Meanwhile, although Intel has just started rolling out its seventh-gen Kaby Lake processor, speculations suggest that the company is already making plans to pursue its follow-up, Cannonlake. While it may sound too early (speculations say that the eighth-gen chipset is not due until the latter part of 2017 to early 2018), Intel drawing up plans for Cannonlake at this stage is highly likely. The upcoming chipset will be the first to be upgraded to 10nm architecture, from the previous 14nm architecture for the Kaby Lake and Skylake processor versions.

WCCFTech believes that Intel has already put up a factory to accommodate assembly, and the trial production for Cannonlake prototypes are set to begin soon. While Intel has yet to announce confirmation, the industry follower said that the schedule roadmap has already been set, and the production costs for the 10nm assembly has already been included in the company's financial outlook for the latter half of this year. Meanwhile, if there are no issues with production, the new, eighth-gen Cannonlake chipsets will start shipping out in the early half of 2017.