The Intel Celeron nameplate has been in use since 1998, but Digitimes is reporting that it’s to be phased out next year. That would leave Intel’s consumer lineup with just various forms of Pentium and Atom chips. Currently there are several Celeron chips available right now, but it’s not like Intel doesn’t have other low-cost options to chose from. What’s really happening here is Intel is eliminating some shopping confusion and killing a brand that’s always been marketed as a cheap alternative to the Pentium. It’s smart.
You must understand that most computer shoppers simply do not care or understand about computer hardware. However, they have been conditioned over the last 20 years to shop by specs alone and the Celeron has always been the chip you get with cheap computers. It doesn’t matter that the chip eventually grew into a capable form. The brand isn’t well-respected like Pentium. Intel could slap a different name on the same chip and as long as it’s marketed correctly, would sell like pancakes.