Intel has unveiled its new Core Series 3 mobile processors, aiming to bring AI-ready performance and improved battery life to more affordable laptops and commercial devices.

The chips are built on Intel’s advanced 18A process node and draw from the architecture of its higher-end Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake). The company is targeting the lineup at students, small businesses and everyday users looking to upgrade ageing PCs.

Intel claims the new processors deliver up to 47% better single-thread performance and 41% better multi-thread performance compared to five-year-old systems, alongside up to 2.8 times stronger GPU AI capabilities.

The chips also support up to 40 platform TOPS for AI workloads, marking Intel’s first hybrid AI-ready offering in this segment.

Connectivity is another focus, with support for Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, while power efficiency improvements promise all-day battery life.

Beyond consumer laptops, Intel is also targeting edge computing use cases, including robotics, smart buildings and point-of-sale systems. The company claims performance gains over competing platforms in tasks such as object detection and image classification.

More than 70 designs from major OEMs are expected, with devices from Acer, ASUS, HP and others rolling out through 2026. Systems powered by the new chips begin shipping immediately, with edge-focused deployments arriving from Q2.

The launch signals Intel’s push to democratise AI-capable computing, bringing next-gen features to lower price tiers as demand for smarter, more efficient devices continues to grow.