14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just confirmed at Computex that HP, Lenovo, and ASUS will be the first partners to launch devices running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, as the company goes forward with its efforts to bring the full version of Windows 10 on ARM chips.
Announced in late 2016, Windows 10 on ARM is a new project that leads to ultra thin and always-connected devices, with Microsoft saying at Computex that it’s working with partners on bringing these PCs to the market as soon as this year.
The Snapdragon 835 chip will run with the X16 LTE modem supposed to provide download speeds reaching 1Gbps, with the mix offering 50 percent better battery life and 5 times longer standby time.
PCs, not phones
Windows 10 PCs running on Qualcomm processors were expected to launch later this year, but at the same time, the most optimistic users in the Windows community hoped that the Windows 10 on ARM effort would also spawn new smartphones, such as the eagerly-awaited Surface Phone.
On the other hand, the focus is clearly on PCs, with Microsoft betting big on the always-connected PCs for students and “creators,” with the latter becoming the company’s new target since the release of Windows 10 Creators Update.
“There is a new generation of users that need to be connected to the cloud at all times. They are students, creators, freelancers, small businesses, and enterprises. This means sharing experiences across screens and leveraging the latest network technology like gigabit LTE and eSIM,” Peter Han, Vice President, Partner Devices and Solutions, explained.
There are no specifics available at this point, but the first devices should see daylight in the fall, just ahead of the back-to-school season, mostly because they are specifically aimed at students.
Pricing for these new devices should be lower than in the case of the existing models, with Microsoft trying to go all-in on what it calls “a thriving ecosystem” with partners that help “bring new categories to life.”