Intel said on June 16, 2026, its 18A manufacturing process, which is indeed the next generation, has begun risk production as the chipmaker anticipates high demand when it comes to its central processors.

The fact is that Intel is trying to prove it is living up to its manufacturing promise by putting 18A-P into initial production, which could make the technology more attractive to outside customers. Lip-Bu Tan, the Intel CEO, has begun to see 18A as a possible product for external customers after initially believing the process would only produce returns from Intel’s own products, said David Zinsner, finance chief, in March 2026.

Compared to 18A, 18A-P goes on to deliver 9% higher performance at the same power level, called iso-power, or 18% lower power at the same processing rate, which is iso-performance, in addition to enhanced thermals as well as design flexibility.

It is worth noting that 18A-P is completely design-rule-compatible with Intel 18A, allowing reuse of current intellectual property and design flows, the company remarked.

The demand for central processors of Intel from companies that offer AI services was so intense in the first quarter that it went on to sell even chips it had written off initially.

With 18A-P into initial production, it is projected second-quarter revenue of $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion, in contrast to a projection of $13.07 billion, based on data collected by LSEG.