Intel's 14nm tablet processors are leaner, meaner and finally here
Intel isn't just coming to CES with fifth-generation Core processors for traditional PCs -- it has big news for the tablet crowd, too. The company is now delivering its first 14-nanometer Atom system on a chip, previously nicknamed Cherry Trail. The new processor should be both faster and offer more battery life than the Bay Trail-based Atoms you see today, thanks in part to both the more efficient manufacturing process and a big leap forward in graphics. Cherry Trail is using the same basic video architecture as Intel's other new CPUs (Bay Trail relied on 2012-era tech), so you'll have a better chance of playing 3D games and high-resolution videos on your tablet without hiccups.
The new design isn't all about raw computing power, though. It's built to take advantage of Intel's RealSense 3D camera technology for gestures and object recognition, and it should pair nicely with new LTE-Advanced cellular chips if you want a tablet with fast data while you're away from WiFi. The first Cherry Trail slates should trickle out over the first half of the year, and you'll learn more about the processors' specs closer to when finished products hit store shelves.
