GoKawiilApple's $599 ($499 for students) MacBook Neo changed people's expectations for budget laptops, and now we're seeing the PC industry's response. Qualcomm is launching the Snapdragon C processor designed for budget Windows laptops, the company announced at Computex. It's promising "responsive performance, cool, quiet designs and... all-day battery life in entry-tier laptops targeting $300 and up."
The Snapdragon C isn't designed for 3D rendering or 8K video editing, but it can do "smooth web browsing, video streaming and productivity," Qualcomm said. It even includes an integrated NPU for AI capabilities, something largely missing from entry-level laptops. Overall, it's designed to be cool and quiet and offer consistent performance for typical workloads, the company said.
Performance and efficiency have never been the hallmarks of cheap Windows Intel-based laptops. By ditching Intel in favor of its far more power-efficient ARM-based chips, it became feasible for Apple to build a product like the Neo. It makes sense, then, for Windows manufacturers to do the same — and Qualcomm is giving them that possibility with its new system-on-chip.
Laptops using the Snapdragon C are expected to hit shelves "later this year," Qualcomm said, from manufacturers including Acer, HP and Lenovo. If they perform as Qualcomm boasts and come near that $300 price point, those products could make a big impact in the entry-level laptop market and help Windows PC makers win customers who want an alternative to the MacBook Neo.