After X Elite, Qualcomm announces New Snapdragon X Plus for Windows on ARM PCs

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has expanded its Snapdragon X Series platform with the introduction of the Snapdragon X Plus. This new platform is for improved CPU performance, power efficiency, and on-device AI capabilities i.e. for Windows on ARM PCs.

The core of the Snapdragon X Plus is the Qualcomm Oryon CPU. This processor has up to 37% faster performance compared to competing laptop processors while consuming up to 54% less power. 

Beyond CPU performance, the Snapdragon X Plus integrates the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. According to Qualcomm, this Neural Processing Unit has 45 TOPS of performance, making it the fastest NPU currently available for laptops. 

Specific examples provided by Qualcomm:

• Code generation assistance for programmers through AI tools.
• Music creation using on-device, AI-powered tools.
• Real-time captioning during live streams with language translation capabilities.

But all this is on the papers; the full range of functionalities enabled by the Snapdragon X Plus’s NPU remains to be seen in real-world use cases.

OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are expected to launch laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Plus alongside devices featuring the previously announced Snapdragon X Elite in mid-2024. 

This announcement confirms that the first two processors within the X Series, Snapdragon X Elite and this, Snapdragon X Plus, are expected to be available in laptops starting mid-2024.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus aims to bring AI capabilities to the laptop market, enabling innovative applications and shaping the future of laptop use.

More here.