This is the year the computer market could change forever. The year that ARM processors are finally as powerful as Intel and AMD chips, but retain their power efficiency advantages. It’s the year, in short, of Copilot+ PCs, like the new Microsoft Surface based on Snapdragon Elite X processors.
Qualcomm still has a long way to go if it wants to make a name for itself in the PC market. For starters, new processors from AMD and Intel already rival, and in some respects surpass, the Snapdragon Elite X. But more importantly, these two brands still dominate the sub-$1,000 laptop market.
After all, the Surface Laptop with a Snapdragon processor starts at 1,199 dollars, a price that is not high for what it offers, but it is not affordable for everyone. Students, workers and occasional computer users are not willing to spend more than 800 dollars on a computer; and in Europe it is perfectly possible to find very competent offers for less than 500 dollars.
For all this, the words of Cristiano Amon, CEO and president of Qualcomm, inspire optimism; Far from resting on its laurels, it seems that the company knows that it must continue to strike if it wants to remain relevant. According to Amon, in 2025 Qualcomm will expand the Snapdragon Elite X processor lineup with cheaper models, aimed at a lower price range.
Concretely, the objective is to fall below $700so they wouldn’t be very cheap laptops, but they would be much more accessible than the current ones. An interesting detail is that these new processors will not sacrifice the performance of the NPU, the neural processing unit responsible for locally executing AI functions. Thus, laptops based on these new chips should also receive the “Copilot+ PC” badge and use the same Windows 11 features as the laptops launched this year with Snapdragon.
Additionally, Amon confirmed that already working with brands for the next batch PC Copilot+ computers, indicating that Qualcomm is pleased with the reception it has received; although the company has chosen not to release exact figures because it is “too early” to have a clear indicator of the platform’s success (or failure).
Qualcomm isn’t going to have an easy time of it. The first Ryzen-based laptops for Copilot+ PC are already hitting the market, and early tests suggest they have superior performance and incredible battery life. And in a month and a half, Intel, in the midst of a scandal over its desktop processors, is expected to start offering its new laptop processors as well.
