What is Intel Evo? The mobile performance standard explained
Intel Evo is the chipmaker's specification for thin-and-light laptops that meet a guarantee of great mobile performance.
Intel unveiled Project Athena at CES in early 2019 but while Athena isn't a consumer brand, Intel Evo is. It's very much like what Intel did with Ultrabooks around a decade ago to revolutionise the thin and light PC laptop market in the wake of the launch of Apple's MacBook Air in 2008.
What is Intel Evo and Project Athena?
Intel Evo is a brand you'll see on ultraportable laptops that guarantees a certain level of performance.
Project Athena was, essentially, the codename for this programme, but Intel says that Intel Evo laptops are "co-engineered and verified through Intel’s Project Athena innovation program". In other words, it's the process laptops go through to get the Intel Evo branding.
And what is that process? It's basically a set of standards that Intel wants for laptops. Intel said its engineers work with companies like HP, Dell, and many more to create laptops that meet its standards. It'll even test them before they can become certified.
Intel's former Ultrabook brand was always about go-anywhere devices that had top-notch Wi-Fi connectivity in days when Wi-Fi was a bit more of an inconsistent experience - the best part of a decade ago.
Nowadays though, it's more about "do anything" as well as "go anywhere" - you really can have one laptop to rule them all.
What are the criteria for Intel Evo certification?
Intel Evo certified laptops have to meet a range of specifications based on design, battery life and hardware. There are six categories:
- Instant action
- Incredible performance and responsiveness
- Intelligence built across platform levels
- Battery life for the real world
- Lightning-fast connectivity
- Innovative and engaging form factor
Each of the categories includes various different specs or basic feature requirements to ensure a high-quality end-user experience. This results in real-world quality, like long and reliable battery life. But much more than that as well, each Evo branded laptop has to meet these specifications in order to have the branding, so the end-user can buy with confidence. These include:
- Instant action:
- Instant wake from standby
- Biometric login capabilities with fingerprint sensors, facial recognition or Bluetooth phone proximity
- Performance and Responsiveness:
- At least a 13th gen Intel Core i5, i7 or i9 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics
- Optional Intel Arc or other discrete graphics
- Optimised with Windows 11 or Chrome OS
- Intel Adaptix Tech with Intel Energy Performance Optimiser
- More than 8GB of RAM and more than 256GB PCIe SSD
- Intelligence built across platform levels
- AI-assisted Dynamic Background Noise Suppression
- Intel DL Boost and Intel GNA 3.0 Enabled
- Optional discrete VPU
- Optional adaptive tech such as wake-on-approach, gaze-based dimming, walk-away lock
- Battery life for the real world
- Fast charging capabilities over USB-C
- Use of low-power components and power efficiency support
- Lightning-fast connectivity
- Intel Wi-Fi6E
- Thunderbolt 4
- Intel Connectivity Performance Suite 2.0
- Optional gB LTE or 5G connectivity
- Innovative and Engaging Form Factor
- 12 to 16-inch FullHD display (or better), with backlit keyboard and precision touch pad
- Sleek chassis with 2-in-1 foldable display design, narrow bezel
- Less than 15mm thickness with integrated graphics or 20mm for dedicated GPUs
- Immersive audio with high-fidelity codecs and speakers
- User-facing FullHD camera (1080p 30 FPS)
All of this adds up to the requirements for a laptop that should not only sufficiently meet your day-to-day needs but also ensure a pleasant user-experience that won't leave you wanting.
So you can purchase an Evo laptop safe in the knowledge that you won't have regrets.
Intel believes its criteria will actually satisfy modern users' needs, and it's going to make sure manufacturers don't cheat them.
Is there an Intel Evo logo?
Yes, there is - you can see it at the top of this article. Originally Intel told us there was no Project Athena brand or logo, but there is a 'visual identifier'. Yes, that really is what they said.
Which manufacturers make Intel Evo laptops?
Many high-end laptops are Intel Evo-certified including laptops from Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Google, Microsoft, Asus, Samsung, and Xiaomi. Indeed over 100 models are now available from 150 partners.
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