Microsoft, Qualcomm team up to launch Snapdragon-based Windows 10 laptops

At the Computex 2017, Microsoft and Qualcomm have joined hands to launch Snapdragon equipped Windows 10 laptops. They have announced that Asus, Lenovo and HP will be first three companies to launch devices powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform.

The first set of devices that will be launched with the upcoming platform will be fanless and slim portables and will belong to both laptop and 2-in-1 lineups. The companies haven't revealed the name of the models, their pricing or availability details, but it is likely that these products will start shipping later this year. The devices based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform are described as "always connected" and claimed to bring the best of smartphones to the laptops and PCs.

The Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform uses a modified version of the ARM-based Snapdragon 835 SoC used for the flagship smartphones right now. Microsoft and Qualcomm assure that these upcoming devices will be connected constantly and have a long lasting battery life that will make them last over a day.

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Being slim and fanless, these devices are claimed to pave way for a variety of shapes and sizes including detachable and foldable convertibles. The Windows 10 software powering these devices will work as it does on the traditional PCs. Notably, Qualcomm has shown off a motherboard that is relatively smaller than the ones used by its competitors.

The performance rendered by the new Qualcomm platform is said to be similar to that of the Intel's U series Core processors that are also meant for the fanless devices. Though the new platform will be using other ARM-based processors with time, it will focus on the Snapdragon 835 SoC highly. It is claimed that the Snapdragon-powered PCs need not wake up to receive messages and notifications. It is said that the Cortana voice assistant of Windows 10 can listen to the instructions just like the smartphones.

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Notably, all the products that will be based on the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile PC platform will have a SIM card slot and the manufacturers are all set to adopt the eSIM standard that will allow them to choose a service provider and top up the accounts via an app instead of swapping SIM cards.

Though the pricing of the models hasn't been disclosed, it is likely that the pricing of such products will be less than that of the premium laptops and flagship smartphones that exist in the market right now. It is believed that these upcoming models might be priced in the range between $700 and $800.