Intel Hopes Sci-Fi Will Help Future Products

For decades, measuring progress in semiconductors was easy. Every year the chips got faster and the industry moved forward. Speed matters far less these days. Phones, cars, and other everyday objects are becoming computers, and the chips in them need to run graphics, operate radios, and browse the Web, all while using as little power as possible.

Intel has struggled to understand this shift. It excelled in the faster-is-always-better world, but rivals like ARM and Qualcomm have been far better at designing chips geared for consumers’ needs. Users “don’t care about the technology anymore,” says Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at researcher In-Stat. “They care about how they can use it. It’s cultural change that needs to happen” at Intel, says McGregor.