Last year Microsoft announced its partnership with Qualcomm. The Partnership was to put x86 on ARM chipset. Microsoft’s intention with this was to make “always connected PCs” which would have long battery life.
Last week, first devices with Windows 10 running on ARM-based chips were launched at the Snapdragon Tech Summit. There were two laptops launched by HP and Asus with Windows 10 S running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SOC. The actual performance, compatibility and battery life will be known after the devices start to sell which will happen next year.
At the same Tech Summit, Qualcomm also launched their all-new chipset, Snapdragon 845, also built on the 10nm process as its predecessor, with performance improvements and X20 modem which results in download speed of upto 1.2 Gbps. Eventually everyone would have been expecting the laptops to be launched with Snapdragon 845. But that won’t happen until the second half of 2018.
This can be understood in two ways:
Firstly, Snapdragon 845 is a new chip and the mass production has not yet started that means initial stock would ran out as the mobile OEMs like Samsung, LG, OnePlus, etc. would want to use them on their flagships.
Secondly, it can be for learning effects from the first generation product and improving them to create a better and optimised second generation product.
The fact is that when the laptops powered by Snapdragon 835 will start to sell in the spring it will be outdated as after 4 to 5 weeks the laptops powered by Snapdragon 845 will be available. That’s a bummer, isn’t it?
