Intel 7nm delayed again: Chipmaker admits embarrassing slide

Intel earnings released this afternoon showed a bit of a change in the company's outlook for chip manufacturing. Intel revealed that their "7nm-based CPU product timing is shifting approximately six months relative to prior expectations." That's a very skillfully stated way of saying Intel's 7nm-based CPU product will be about a half-year later than they'd planned.

Intel also noted that "The primary driver is the yield of Intel's 7nm process, which based on recent data, is now trending approximately twelve months behind the company's internal target." That's another way of saying that Intel is now calculating that their 7nm process yield is about a year behind their own previously projected target.

Previously projected targets suggested that 7nm would be ready for 2021. Projected targets have been adjusted since then, per Intel investor relations this afternoon.

Intel didn't focus on this set of situations in today's earnings report. Instead, Intel rolled out the good news with a 20% increase in second-quarter revenue (year over year). They made note that "data-centric revenue" made up for a lot of this growth, thanks to its own 34% increase in revenue (year over year.) Data-centric revenue accounted for 52% of Intel's total revenue for the quarter.

PC-Centric revenue for Q2 2020 were $9.5 billion. Data-centric revenue for this quarter included DCG at $7.1 billion, IoT (IOTG) at $670 million, IoT (Mobileye) at $146 million, NSG at $1.7 billion, and PSG at $501 million.

Intel also noted that they'd be accelerating their 10nm product transition. Intel said they'd be increasing volumes and "strong demand for an expanding lineup" in 10nm products. Intel reiterated that Tiger Lake would be launching soon, while the first 10nm-based server CPU "Ice Lake" is still planned for "the end of this year." Intel stated that they'd be launching a new line of client-CPU's (code-named "Sapphire Rapids") in the second half of the year 2021.