14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft and Qualcomm announced in late 2016 Windows 10 on ARM, a new project that brings the full version of the desktop operating system on ARM chips like the Snapdragon.
Qualcomm has recently confirmed that the first ARM PCs running the full version of Windows 10 are projected to hit the market as soon as this year, and according to a new report, there’s a good chance that Microsoft itself could launch one such device.
Digitimes, which had its own share of hits and misses on Microsoft rumors in the past, cites upstream suppliers in a report suggesting that a new ARM-based notebook is currently being developed, pointing out that it’s either Microsoft or Lenovo the company behind it.
If it’s Microsoft, then this could be a new Surface device, the same report adds, and the launch could take place by the end of the year.
New Surface models coming later this year
Microsoft is indeed expected to take the wraps off new Surface models in the fall, as the launch of the new-generation Surface Book and the Surface Pro 5 has reportedly been delayed because some features weren’t ready, so there’s a chance that an ARM notebook could also be launched alongside them.
This wouldn’t be the first time when Microsoft launches an ARM device, as the company previously launched two such versions of the Surface, both of which experienced only moderate sales.
The original Surface RT, which launched in 2012, and the Surface 2, released one year later, were both running ARM chips, and were powered by Windows RT, an operating system that was limited to apps published in the Windows Store.
This time, the new Surface ARM notebook could be powered by the Snapdragon 835, which is Qualcomm’s latest ARM chip rumored to power the first Windows 10 on ARM devices launching this year.
The original demo released by Microsoft and Qualcomm showed Windows 10 running on a Snapdragon 820, so performance of the 835 should be substantially improved, though specifics in this regard are not yet available.