Intel revealed on Tuesday that the first wave of its next-generation Ivy Bridge processors will feature quad-core models, the bulk of which are headed for desktop computers, followed by a second launch of dual-core chips for “mainstream notebooks.”
Per CNET, CEO Paul Otellini relayed the information to investors during a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday.
“The first versions of Ivy Bridge that we’re shipping are quad cores, and then bulk of those are going into desktops,” Otellini said, according to a transcript by Seeking Alpha.
“And then the second launch of the products is in the dual core, which is the mainstream notebooks. So I think that helps put a profile over the course of quarter as well.”
Intel pushed the Ivy Bridge launch back by three weeks in order to “make sure that there was enough inventory in the pipeline,” the company’s CFO said. The chipmaker is expected to launch its first batch of Ivy Bridge chips next week.
Otellini’s comments could still leave room for a MacBook Pro release within the first wave of chips. Apple could potentially obtain enough inventory for initial MacBook Pro shipments even if the “bulk” of Intel’s new processors are headed for desktops. Currently, both the 15-inch and 17-inch versions of the MacBook Pro make use of a quad-core Intel processor, while the 13-inch model has a dual-core processor.
Availability of 15-inch MacBook Pros has been constrained among authorized resellers, often a reliable indicator of an imminent update.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.