Qualcomm is reportedly planning to expand its Snapdragon X chipset lineup with a new entry-level offering aimed at powering $600 ARM laptops, directly challenging Apple's dominance in the affordable notebook segment.
Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon previously hinted at $700 Snapdragon-powered Windows devices launching next year. This new, unnamed Snapdragon X SoC aims even lower, targeting the $600 price point. While specifications remain undisclosed, it's speculated to feature a 6-core CPU to reduce costs.
This move positions Qualcomm to compete with Apple's M-series MacBooks, particularly the M2 MacBook Air, which currently starts at around $800 (after discount). However, Qualcomm faces the challenge of attracting native app development for the Snapdragon platform, a hurdle Apple has already overcome.
While a 6-core Snapdragon X might offer lower multi-core performance, it could still be competitive if it matches the performance of Apple's M1. These $600 laptops are likely to come with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. However, if the 8GB RAM is soldered, it could limit performance when running Windows.
Furthermore, Qualcomm is developing its third-generation Oryon cores for future Snapdragon X SoCs, codenamed "Project Glymur." One version is rumored to have an 18-core CPU with full DX12 support, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing, suggesting even more powerful ARM laptops are on the horizon.
