From PC Mag: Since mid-2024, Qualcomm has been making waves with its Snapdragon X, X Plus, and X Elite processors, with Snapdragon X2 Elite just now hitting laptops. But the chip maker wants more of the mainstream-PC pie than ever.
Ahead of Computex 2026, the chipmaker revealed Snapdragon C, a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) processor built for budget-friendly, power-sipping laptops, slated for launch in the next few weeks.
According to Qualcomm, the "C" in Snapdragon C stands for "Compute," enabling modern computing capabilities at price points defined, until now, by Chromebooks and x86 machines with sluggish, entry-level chips. The new platform is a pivot for Qualcomm, remixing phone-first silicon to power inexpensive laptops in the $300-to-$500 price range. Qualcomm promises all-day endurance from these chips, and since some of the longest battery life test results we've seen have been from Snapdragon systems, color us intrigued.
Efficiency is only part of the story. These chips will also support some of the AI features that pepper Windows 11. The neural processors in Snapdragon C won't be powerful enough to be part of the Copilot+ PC club, but a dedicated NPU will come standard. (Qualcomm did not yet share a TOPS rating for the NPU.) Plus, the first Snapdragon C laptop we've spotted (more on that later), from Acer, has a Copilot key on its keyboard, implying some level of AI readiness.
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