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Here's your first look at a real Snapdragon X laptop
Laptops with the Snapdragon X Elite aren't coming until the summer, but the leaks have already started.
We've been hearing about the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and laptops powered by it for many months now, but in terms of actual hardware, we have yet to see anything concrete. That's because a lot of these devices are going to be unveiled at an event in May, but if you just can't wait, the leaks are starting to come in.
Here's what emulated x86 software is really like on Snapdragon X Elite
From Lightroom Classic to Slack, here are the ups and downs
We're now less than two months away from laptops launching with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite chipset, and this is going to be big. It's not going to be like previous Snapdragon PC chips, where there would only be two or three mainstream products available. We're talking big-time premium laptops, such as the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, along with entries from every other major OEM, all within the first week or so of launch. OEMs are so confident in this chipset that products like Microsoft's best-selling Surface PCs won't even be offered to consumers in an Intel variant.
A Snapdragon-only Surface Pro is bad news for Intel
Consumer models of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are said to come exclusively with Qualcomm processors, leaving Intel in a tight spot.
With the launch of the business models of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 behind us, all eyes are on the consumer models, which are set to be announced on May 20. According to everything we've heard, these models will exclusively be powered by Qualcomm processors, specifically the Snapdragon X Elite, leaving out any Intel options. That means Microsoft will be moving to a fully Arm-based lineup, which is a major step to take.
Chrome for Windows on Arm is finally good
Got a Windows on Arm PC? You can finally use Chrome comfortably
After roughly seven years of Windows on Arm PCs being on the market, Google is finally releasing a version of Chrome that's optimized for them. The native browser has been available in the Canary channel since January.
I've been waiting for the Snapdragon X Elite for seven years. Ever since Qualcomm and Microsoft announced Windows running on Arm processors with emulated x86 apps in 2016, I've been hyped for it. Finally, we were going to have some real competition to Intel and x86.
Qualcomm's AI Hub will bring Stable Diffusion, Whisper, and more to Snapdragon devices
Qualcomm's AI hub will bring Stable Diffusion, Whisper, and a ton of other models to Snapdragon devices, including the Snapdragon X Elite.
AI is all the rage, and Qualcomm is absolutely no stranger to it. The company has been touting its prowess in the field for years at this point, banging the drum of superiority in its NPUs when it comes to on-device processing and image processing. Now the company is taking it a step further by launching its own AI Hub, a library of pre-optimized models for deployment on Snapdragon and Qualcomm platforms.
Qualcomm's exclusivity deal is about to end, with some big implications for Windows on Arm
Qualcomm's coveted exclusivity deal with Microsoft is about to run its course. Here's how it might change the Windows on Arm market.
Windows on Arm has indeed come a long way since its inception. With more features being pushed through the pipeline, and more apps gaining native support, Windows on Arm is starting to come into its own. The Snapdragon X Elite has packed enough power under the hood, making it a genuine competitor to Apple’s silicon. There is no denying that Qualcomm has played a key role in the development of Windows on Arm from a mere afterthought to a genuine option. Part of the reason Qualcomm was able to rapidly develop its chips is how closely it works with Microsoft, courtesy of an exclusivity deal. However, that could be about to change soon with news around the imminent expiry of this deal this year spinning the rumor mill.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 review: I finally don't feel the need to upgrade
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the latest and greatest flagship chip in the Android world, and it fares pretty well compared to last year's SoC.
We saw the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 unveiled at the company's tech summit in Hawaii just last October, and it packs some upgraded specs and a large focus on AI going forward. With that, though, there are some big improvements in computational capabilities, with a focus on CPU and GPU improvements that did manage to impress me. Weirdly enough, though, this is the first year in a long time that the predecessor still feels like enough performance for basically anyone.
Snapdragon X Elite vs Intel Core Ultra 7 155H: We ran the benchmarks
Intel stole the show at CES, but Qualcomm was there to say it's still coming for them
CES is the biggest computing show of the year, and it's a longstanding tradition that Intel and AMD announce their newest wares there, followed by every OEM's device announcements. Normally, these new chips and devices are a little bit faster than their predecessors, and those improvements add up over a five-year upgrade cycle.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy breakdown: What's different?
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy powers the Galaxy S24 series in the U.S. and the S24 Ultra globally, but what's different?
Continuing on a trend that started last year, Samsung and Qualcomm announced that there's a specific version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Samsung phones, dubbed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. It's not just a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though it doesn't mean a whole lot either. This chipset is really just a clock speed bump that we've been able to piece together from spec sheets.
Samsung's Galaxy S24 series goes all-in on AI
Samsung's Galaxy S24 series is here, and it's going all-in on AI with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy and an Exynos 2400.
The Galaxy S series of smartphones are, every year, among the best phones on the market. The Galaxy S23 series was a fantastic set of smartphones with the S23 Ultra in particular having one of the best cameras on any smartphone around. Now the Samsung Galaxy S24 series is here, and it features minor improvements across the board to bring Samsung's trio of flagships up to date with the rest of the industry.
Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is a joint collaboration between Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm
Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is a collaboration between three industry heavy-hitters, and there's going to be a Samsung XR device in the future.
When it comes to eXtended Reality (XR) devices, Qualcomm's SoCs have been the default for many of the most popular VR headsets on the market. The Pico 4 VR and the Meta Quest 2 both have the original Snapdragon XR2, and the recently-released Meta Quest 3 has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 SoC. Now, Qualcomm is announcing the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, and it seems to be, at least in part, a product of collaboration with Google and Samsung.
The definitive guide to 5G: Everything you need to know
This is our definitive guide to 5G, with explanations on 5G terms and technologies including sub-6GHz, mmWave, and much more.
It's fair to say that in the last couple of years, there has been no buzzword having as strong a marketing impact as the word 5G. The word signifies so much that the industry has been promoting it in every nook and cranny, even still going into 2024. New carrier deployments wax lyrical about 5G services. Chip vendors talk about 5G modems and SoCs. Device makers even now are still upselling 5G as the "next big thing" that will "change users' lives." Depending on who you talk to, you'll hear different things about 5G. Is it mildly upgraded 4G mobile broadband, or is it the technology that will connect industries and services, power a massive number of IoT devices, and serve as the backbone support for future innovation? What is 5G, exactly? Is it worth the hype?
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 vs MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus: Neck and neck in every aspect
The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus made its western debut recently, and how does it fare versus the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1?
MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 Plus chipset was the company's big return to flagship chipsets in the west, and it was a long time coming. The non-Plus version launched in devices like the OPPO Find X5 Pro Dimensity Edition, a China-only exclusive. However, with the advent of the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro came an additional tier above — the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate. The "Ultimate" moniker obviously implied at the time that it was the superior device, and so, we put both chipsets to the test.
Despite looking promising, the Snapdragon X Elite still has a long way to go
For Qualcomm to truly succeed, Microsoft has to step up its game and take Windows on Arm seriously
Recently, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon X Elite, its latest SoC for laptops, with some impressive performance claims in tow. The company is aiming to breathe new life into Windows on Arm with custom Arm64 Oryon CPU cores. Despite being marketed as a direct competitor to Apple’s M2 chip, the X Elite’s performance comparisons suggest that it can at least give the recently announced M3 chip a good run for its money. Hearing this will be music to the ears of many people, and rightly so, since Windows on Arm has struggled for years. However, when looking at the grand scheme of things, Qualcomm still has a longer way to go than many people think.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs MediaTek Dimensity 9200: Battle of the titans
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and MediaTek Dimensity 9200 are the best smartphone chipsets to date, but only one is victorious.
For years when it came to flagships, Qualcomm was the undisputed number one when it came to flagship chipsets. At times, the company would trade blows with Samsung's Exynos chips, but in recent years Samsung's chipset prowess has come to a halt. The Samsung Galaxy S23 series carries the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Exynos 2200 in the S22 series was a complete mess. However, MediaTek has now taken up the mantle as the primary Qualcomm competitor, and the chipset battle is heating up.
3 reasons Qualcomm will need more than speed to beat Apple
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite looks to be quick, perhaps even quicker than Apple Silicon. But it'll need more than just speed to with the SoC wars.
Qualcomm recently unveiled its Snapdragon X Elite system-on-a-chip, which is the first Arm processor for Windows that features custom-designed cores, called Oryon cores. Up until now, manufacturers building Arm chips made use of pre-existing cores licensed by Arm. The only brand that made custom cores was Apple, and that's part of the reason its M-series chips have blown away the competition. But with Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm is now designing its cores, and early results show that this makes a big impact.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite is already an exciting Apple M3 competitor
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite looks like an exciting competitor to Apple Silicon.
Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon X Elite at this year's Qualcomm Summit, sharing some pretty enticing performance figures. The company claimed a 30% improvement in single-threaded performance over the M2 Max, and a 50% improvement in multi-threaded performance when compared to the M2. There are some caveats and reading between the lines to be had here, but ultimately it boils down to the Snapdragon X Elite being not just an M2 competitor, but perhaps even an Apple Silicon M3 competitor.
Apple's M3 Macs aren't enough to steal Qualcomm's thunder
The Apple M3 may be faster, but the Snapdragon X Elite on Windows is still far more exciting.
Apple unveiled its latest Mac refresh last night in a move that felt a bit rushed, considering many of these models were refreshed less than a year ago. The new MacBook Pro and iMac models come packing the new M3 family of chips, which promise faster performance across the board, with a special emphasis on GPU performance.
This is why the Snapdragon X Elite doesn't have any little cores
The Snapdragon X Elite uses 12 of the same cores
Qualcomm flew me out to Hawaii last week for its Snapdragon Technology Summit, where it announced the Snapdragon X Elite. As it stands right now, the new chipset seems poised to revolutionize the Windows laptop market, thanks to a blend of performance and battery life that we've previously only seen from Apple Silicon.