Intel Evo Edition for Meteor Lake laptops promises AI smarts, VCX-rated webcams, and optional cool quieter performance

In recent years, initiatives such as Intel Project Athena (Evo) and AMD Advantage have tried to drive standardization in what is otherwise a fragmented ecosystem. Intel first debuted Project Athena back in 2019 and the standard has since undergone several changes. Today, under the aegis of the Meteor Lake launch, Intel is announcing an upgraded Evo spec that now also includes some AI-powered enhancements.

The new Evo spec continues to focus on instant wake and Connected Standby. Additionally, all new Evo-certified laptops will have to provide the following features:

• Based on Intel Meteor Lake Core Ultra 5, 7, and 9 CPUs
• A minimum of 8 GB or 12 GB dual-channel RAM and a minimum of 256 GB PCIe storage
• Optimized for Windows 11 2023
• Feature an NPU and support Windows Studio Effects
• Wi-Fi 6E, Thunderbolt 4
• 12-inch FHD display at the minimum
• 1080p 30 fps webcam tested with VCX benchmark
• Provide Intel Unison out of the box
• Offer at least 10+ hours of battery life in typical use

Intel mandated inclusion of FHD webcams for the Evo spec from Alder Lake onwards. The company is now introducing VCX performance metrics to assess webcam quality. Back in 2021, we first broke news that Intel might soon start using VCX scores to rate cameras and even allow for up to 8 MP webcams.

For those not in the know, VCX or Valued Camera eXperience Forum is a non-profit that extensively evaluates mobile camera under a variety of conditions before arriving at a score.

This time, Intel is also extending the Evo spec to foldable displays. Devices that adhere to the new Evo standard will ship with Intel Unison preinstalled. Unison offers a way for Windows PCs to play ball with Android and iOS devices in a more streamlined manner than OEM solutions, or even Microsoft's own Phone Link app.

This year also sees the introduction of a "cool quieter performance" test. Intel hasn't fully detailed what this means, so we do not yet know what the noise and temperature thresholds are. This test is also optional at the moment, so not all Evo-certified SKUs will qualify for this.

Intel said that it has a robust industry collaboration with key players across the laptop and accessory ecosystem. However, the company reiterated that it is not chasing numbers and that the choice is ultimately with the OEMs.

Buy the LG Gram with 13th gen Core i7 Evo on Amazon