Future Windows 10 desktops, laptops, and other devices will use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors

Qualcomm Technologies announced at Microsoft’s Windows hardware conference that the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors will now support Windows 10 devices.

Speaking at the WinHEC event in Shenzhen, China, Qualcomm and Microsoft said they are collaborating to enable a full Windows 10 experience on mobile computing devices powered by next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. And that’s interesting because Qualcomm just announced it is sampling its latest 10-nanometer ARM-based processors with 48 cores. Qualcomm believes this will help break the near monopoly that Intel has had on Windows for decades, as Snapdragon chips will be able to power desktops, laptops, and other devices too.

Those new chips are for servers, but Qualcomm said that its latest Snapdragon processors will support the full Windows 10 experience on mobile computing devices that enable anytime, anywhere connected devices. That gives Microsoft the ability to expand beyond Surface-like tablets and laptops into new kinds of mobile devices with Windows 10.

“Qualcomm Snapdragon processors offer one of the world’s most advanced mobile computing features, including Gigabit LTE connectivity, advanced multimedia support, machine learning and superior hardware security features, all while supporting thin, fan-less designs and long battery life,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president of Qualcomm Technologies, in a statement. “With full compatibility with the Windows 10 ecosystem, the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform is expected to support mobility to cloud computing and redefine how people will use their compute devices.”

As traditional PC computing becomes more mobile, Qualcomm Technologies brings the scale of the mobile ecosystem with a rapid pace of innovation to address consumers’ growing need to be always on and always connected. Snapdragon will enable Windows 10 PCs to combine the best of computing and productivity with the state-of-the-art consumer electronics technologies available in today’s leading smartphones, the companies said.

“We are excited to bring Windows 10 to the ARM ecosystem with our partner, Qualcomm Technologies,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, in a statement. “We continue to look for ways to empower our customers to create wherever they are. Bringing Windows 10 to life with a range of thin, light, power-efficient and always-connected devices, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform, is the next step in delivering the innovations our customers love — touch, pen, Windows Hello, and more — anytime, anywhere.”

New Windows 10 devices powered by Snapdragon will support all aspects of Microsoft’s latest operating system, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Edge browser, Windows 10 gaming titles like Crysis 2 and World of Tanks, Windows Hello, and touchscreen features like Windows Pen. These devices will also support Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps and Win32 apps through emulation, providing users with a wide selection of full-featured applications.

The first devices running the full Windows 10 experience based on Snapdragon processors are expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2017.