Consider the following snippet:

    int i = 99999999;
    byte b = 99;
    short s = 9999;
    Integer ii = Integer.valueOf(9); // should be within cache

    System.out.println(new Integer(i) == i); // "true"
    System.out.println(new Integer(b) == b); // "true"
    System.out.println(new Integer(s) == s); // "true"
    System.out.println(new Integer(ii) == ii); // "false"

It's obvious why the last line will ALWAYS prints "false": we're using == reference identity comparison, and a new object will NEVER be == to an already existing object.

The question is about the first 3 lines: are those comparisons guaranteed to be on the primitive int, with the Integer auto-unboxed? Are there cases where the primitive would be auto-boxed instead, and reference identity comparisons are performed? (which would all then be false!)