Intel Haswell Expected to Enable Ultrabook “Sweet Spot” in 2013

The Haswell system-on-chip (SoC) devices that Intel will launch in the first half of 2013 are looked upon as a holy grail, of sorts, by the market watchers and notebook vendors alike.

Along with the 8-Series chipsets, Intel is expected to release the Haswell series of central processing units at some point in Q1 or Q2, 2013.

What is more important to the matter at hand is that there will be a number of chips that will combine the CPU with the chipset itself, hence why we called them SoCs.

This will permit ultrabooks to be designed with lighter and thinner cases, and power consumption to be reduced by 20% during idle times.

Market watchers believe that this will be enough to secure the coveted market “sweet spot” that Intel and its partners have been slowly dragging themselves towards.

The price of $699 has almost been achieved, even if it came at the cost of strong CPUs, aluminum cases and storage, but it is not enough.

Ultrabooks won't really be ultrabooks until they have all the assets of the first design concepts (super-thin and light frame, metallic enclosure, strong specs) and an affordable price point (as opposed to, say Vizio's Thin + Light and HP's Spectre XT).

The impending wave of sales will have an excuse: the back-to-school season is beginning, and Microsoft will launch Windows 8 soon after.

Interest might stay high throughout the winter holidays as well, but consumers will definitely need a true “sweet spot” incentive if they are to keep buying such mobile PCs afterwards.

All things considered, it might not be for the best that Intel's Haswell is scheduled for release during the slow season. Hopefully, the size variety (11- and 13-inch to 14- to 15-inch) will stir enough interest on the part of prospective buyers.