Zen will be on 14 nm (Samsung/GF most likely). Intel will also be on 14 nm at the time Zen is released. Sure, those 14 nm process techs will have different characteristics, but still Samsung/GF 14 nm will not be a bad process tech at the time Zen is released.
Zen is also a completely new uArch. Intel's Core uArch is based on a design originating from 2006.
There will be an 8 core Zen CPU according to
this. Do you think it makes sense to make an 8 core Zen based CPU, if it's aiming for the low/mid-end laptop and desktop segments?
IIRC, the real basis for Intel's arch is the PIII. If you compare a P3 block diagram to a Haswell diagram, you see some spooky similarities. It's even older! Though architecture age doesn't really have anything to do with what I'm saying. Do correct me if it's somehow relevant though.
Also, I'm not saying Samsung/GF 14nm will be "bad" or anything like that, simply saying that due to the diversity of process Intel can offer (having 14nm SoC, HBM, etc. etc.), they'll have the upper hand. I don't believe AMD has this ability with their strategy to use open foundries.
I agree, the news that Zen will have an 8-core SKU does bring up a few things. Though I just chalk it up to "Well Haswell scales from 4.5W to 140W through varying different flavours, can't see why Zen won't scale from some ~10W to 95W with the flagship being an eight core with the aim to take most of the mid-low tier market."
Notice that the link describes Zen going up to 8 cores and going up to 95W, not that all SKUs will be those specs.
Also, another reason I forgot is that I don't believe they'll have the plans to make a pin-compatible ARM sister and have it be super-high performing on a consumer socket when it's supposed to have comparable performance to it's x86 sister.
Though, if the reality turns out to be different and Zen is aimed at the i7-6770K (or will it be 7770K by then? Scheduling has been messy lately)'s neck, then I'll more than be happy to admit I was completely wrong with my expectations...
Then I'll be excited cause... you know... it's been awhile since Intel has had high-end competition.