Intel has unveiled a new system on a chip (SoC) that will enable PC builders to create cheaper, slimmer and more powerful PCs - even better than some current-gen systems available on the market.

Last week at IDF Shenzhen, Intel unveiled the new Apollo Lake platform for use in next-generation systems running on Atom SoCs, Anandtech reported. The new platform will feature the same architecture as the current Skylake chips, with some tweaks for improved performance.

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Intel has designed the new Apollo Lake SoCs for use in low-cost systems including all-in-ones, mini PCs, hybrid devices, notebooks and tablets. The new SoC will allow for thinner systems, while still allowing for a longer battery life, and will still be affordable (configurations are cheaper by an average of $5.55 to $7.35) - so system builders can choose to spend the extra cash on other essentials such as RAM or better displays.

Intel’s Apollo Lake will bring about great changes to current-gen configurations. Cloudbooks, for example, offer a meager 32 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM and about 8 hours of battery life crammed into an average thickness of 18 millimeters. With the Apollo Lake SoC, both storage and RAM memory could be increased, while having a thinner chassis, all for the same price range.

Not only that, because it shares the same architecture as the Skylake chips, Apollo Lake SoCs have improved graphics performance as well as the capacity for 4K video playback. It will also allow for the introduction of newer technologies such as USB Type-C.

To date, Intel has not released quantified data regarding its performance, as well as pricing and some other key details, but it is reported that the new SoCs will be out in the second half of this year.

TagsIntel, Skylake, Apollo Lake, Cloudbooks