It is a new badge (not literally) of approval that is being introduced by Intel to simplify what Project Athena is about. A lot of laptop users aren’t tech-savvy so this simple branding, over something that says “Project Athena” on the box, does make a lot of sense as it will allow non-techy users to know exactly what they are buying.
As hinted above, this isn’t actually a badge or logo on the laptop itself but a graphic that will be on display in stores or on the package.
So what is Project Athena?
The New Project Athena is a drive by Intel to create new and more efficient portable mobile PCs. Intel knows that there is stiff competition from AMD in desktops and servers, while ARM is steadily catching up in mobile performance. With the recent release of their 10nm mobile CPUs, Intel is looking to rapidly leverage the advantages it has. Project Athena will help the company and its partners focus on key aspects of designing slimmer and faster devices.
Intel has set up stringent norms for qualifying a laptop as Athena ready. The company will conduct a series of tests to gauge the responsiveness, battery life, sound and the overall performance of the laptop to ensure a device is worthy of the new certification.
Intel might not have the most competitive products now but they still haven’t lost a touch when it comes to effective marketing. Intel has had the ability to turn simple product names into powerful brands that become household names, a quality they share with Nvidia. AMD, on the other hand, has really struggled with it until very recently with Ryzen.