The next wave of Qualcomm PC platforms will come with a rebrand under the name Snapdragon X, which will roll out in 2024, the component supplier recently confirmed.
The company detailed that it will unveil new logos and platform badges for the compute platform to distinguish its premium category while maintaining its standout Snapdragon fireball design. The upcoming Snapdragon X chips will feature the Qualcomm Oryon CPU.
The component has a riveting backstory beginning with Qualcomm’s 2021 acquisition of the brand Nuvia, which was founded by ex-Apple engineers. Qualcomm used the technology of Nuvia’s Arm-based chips to deliver an experience similar to Apple in terms of power and efficiency while adding AI processing and 5G connectivity.
However, Arm has sued Qualcomm and Nuvia, claiming that Nuvia’s licensing agreements with the company are no longer valid now that it has been sold to Qualcomm. The lawsuit is set to go to trial in September 2024, according to the Verge.
The devices running the Snapdragon X will be direct competitors with Apple’s M-series lineup, which powers devices across the iPads, MacBooks, and Mac desktop lines. The M-series chips have been known for performance, battery life, and for allowing portable devices to be lightweight. The Snapdragon X will also enable a neural processing unit (NPU), similar to the M-series chips, which Qualcomm said will drive powerful on-device AI experiences on the SoC.
One major one-up Qualcomm has over Apple on its chips is its consistent inclusion of 5G by blending mobile technology into a computing atmosphere. The Verge noted that when at Apple, Nuvia’s founders worked on the A-series iPhone and iPad chips.
Qualcomm’s original Snapdragon 8cx compute platform has already been compared to Apple’s M-series chips. It was first released in 2019 and has seen three generations before this rebrand.
Qualcomm said it will have more details about the Snapdragon X PC platform at its Snapdragon Summit, which will take place later this month.
