Qualcomm is expanding its Snapdragon X series to target lower-priced laptops, with plans to release a new chip for Windows devices priced around $600.
This move directly challenges Apple’s dominance in the ARM laptop market, where the cheapest MacBook Air currently starts at $799.
The new chip would join Qualcomm’s existing lineup of 12-core, 10-core, and 8-core processors. While specifications haven’t been revealed, industry watchers expect the budget chip might use a 6-core design to achieve the lower price point. The chip will likely include the same Neural Processing Unit (NPU) found in other Snapdragon X models.
These $600 laptops are expected to come with 8GB of RAM and 512GB storage. However, the 8GB RAM limit could be a constraint for Windows users, especially if it cannot be upgraded.
Qualcomm is also looking ahead to 2025, when it plans to release its third-generation Oryon cores in a project codenamed ‘Glymur.’ This future chip might include an 18-core CPU with advanced gaming features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
The main challenge for Qualcomm remains getting developers to create native apps for Windows on ARM, something Apple has already achieved with its Mac platform.
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