Intel says it will replace the Pentium and Celeron brands with Intel Processor, starting with notebooks in 2023
While there are more and more premium Chrome OS devices, the category very much excels at the cheaper end of the market. When buying those Chromebooks next year …
Context & Ripple Effects
Intel is simplifying its entry-level notebook identity while Chrome OS remains closely associated with lower-priced hardware. That segment already has alternative CPU paths: AMD introduced Ryzen 5000 C-series chips for Chrome OS, while Google was reportedly developing Arm-based Chrome OS chips.
The move also foreshadows Intel’s later Core and Ultra naming reset, making the retirement of Pentium and Celeron part of a broader effort to organize its client lineup around fewer, clearer labels.
First-order effects
- Notebook makers and retailers must replace Pentium and Celeron references with Intel Processor in 2023 product listings, packaging, and sales materials.
- Intel consolidates its lower-end notebook branding under one label, while preserving separate higher-tier Core positioning.
Second-order effects
- AMD’s Chromebook-focused C-series lineup gains a clearer comparison point as OEMs and buyers assess entry-level systems without Intel’s two legacy sub-brands.
- Chrome OS device makers face greater pressure to explain performance and feature differences themselves, because the Intel Processor name conveys less tier detail than the retired brands.
Third-order effects
- If Intel continues its subsequent naming simplification, PC processor marketing will rely more on a small set of portfolio tiers and OEM configuration details than on long-lived individual product brands.
- As Chrome OS chips diversify across Intel, AMD, and potential Arm-based options, platform vendors and laptop makers—not legacy CPU labels—will have more influence over how budget devices are segmented.
The trend: Intel’s retirement of legacy entry-level labels is one step in a wider simplification of PC chip branding as Chrome OS hardware gains more processor options.