Qualcomm has already made clear its plans to enter the x86 arena, first with its Snapdragon 835 chipset and now with the future Snapdragon 1000. Windows in the ARM is underway with some devices, such as the ASUS “Primus”, but a newly discovered Qualcomm job announcement sheds some light on the seriousness with which Microsoft wants to deploy ARM processors on desktop and notebook PCs.
Apparently, Redmond’s giant is already busy testing Qualcomm’s chips for a wide range of devices, from netbooks and tablets to virtual reality and mixed reality glasses.
This development makes a lot of sense, as Qualcomm also appears to be duplicating ARM development for use in Windows. In addition to the Snapdragon 835, which was originally used for early development work, there is now a Snapdragon 850, a more powerful variant of the 835 chip, as well as the Snapdragon 1000. The latter seems to be particularly interesting, as it is tailor-made for a Windows environment and aimed at competing directly with Intel’s low-power line. In addition to the original 6.5W TDP version, the Snapdragon 1000 has also been seen, in an even more powerful 12W package.
What is sought with these chips is to have laptops, tablets and VR glasses with greater autonomy, one of the greatest Achilles’ heels of portable devices ever?