14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is pushing hard for its Windows 10 ARM platform, and while the company is working with software developers to optimize their apps and support this project, it’s also accelerating its hardware efforts in this regard.
One of the ideas that the software giant is currently exploring is a future Surface Pro model that would run on an ARM chip.
According to a report from Thurrott, Microsoft has already created prototypes of a Surface Pro running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, and not on Intel processors.
This is something that’s not entirely surprising, though it looks like the plan is to launch Surface Pro devices with both processors. The Snapdragon chips would only be used for the lower-end models, but instead they would help Microsoft expand in the Always Connected PC market.
Always Connected PCs are specifically supposed to provide longer battery life, and a Surface Pro with a Snapdragon chip would technically allow Microsoft to push harder for its partners to invest in this ecosystem.
Work in progress
Needless to say, Microsoft is still in the planning stage, so not only that the company hasn’t released any devices with a Snapdragon chip, but it might not even do it if the project doesn’t advance as expected.
The closest to getting a Snapdragon processor was the Surface Go, which was originally projected to launch with an ARM chip. But according to people close to the matter, Microsoft had a change of mind after Intel itself pressured the company to choose its own processor.
Things could change for future Surface models, and if Windows 10 on ARM gains traction, there’s a chance that Microsoft itself would insist more for Snapdragon processors on its products.
A new batch of Surface upgrades are expected in the fall of this year, but for now it’s not yet clear if the company wants to launch a Pro model with ARM chips just yet.