Typically when one mentions Qualcomm, one thinks of chipsets meant for smartphones – be it a flagship from Samsung or Xiaomi to the affordable options from Redmi to Motorola. But Qualcomm has slowly and steadily expanded its portfolio to include chipsets for devices such as smartwatches, VR headsets and laptops. But what does it mean when we say a ‘Qualcomm-powered’ laptop? Indianexpress.com spoke with Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Computing and Gaming, at Qualcomm Technologies, for a deeper dive into what we can expect from Snapdragon-powered notebooks. Below is an edited version of the interaction.
What to expect from Snapdragon-powered laptops?
Qualcomm wants to transform the way consumers use PCs. The company wants to bring features like an improved GPS experience and high-resolution cameras to laptops. Snapdragon platform-powered laptops will also have an improved power profile for enhanced battery life. Snapdragon is also investing a lot in AI to enable a better user experience to deliver on-device features, such as noise cancellation.
Snapdragon-powered laptops will enter both the commercial and consumer markets in the coming days. The company is also working with financial institutions like Citibank to deploy Snapdragon-powered laptops based on Windows OS. The company is also working with brands like Amazon Prime, Zoom, and Crowd Strike to create native Windows applications for Snapdragon processor-powered computers.
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PremiumHow will these Snapdragon-powered laptops be positioned in the market? What apps will work on them?
There will be many products, and the consumer will have many choices. In terms of compatibility, native Windows apps will run on Snapdragon-powered devices via 64-bit emulation. Microsoft and Qualcomm are also encouraging developers to code their applications natively on the Snapdragon platform. Some applications like Adobe actually work better on a Snapdragon-powered laptop due to the AI capabilities. Rather than focusing on benchmarks, Snapdragon-powered PCs will focus on end-user experiences.
What about gaming on these laptops?
Snapdragon-powered laptops will focus on mainstream and casual gamers. The devices will be optimized for the same. But there is nothing for professional or e-sports level of PC gaming as of now.
How will Snapdragon-powered laptops stand out?
Snapdragon-powered PCs will offer features like dedicated video/audio code and active noise cancellation. They will also run on a dedicated neural engine, which will deliver better performance and power efficiency compared to a conventional PC/laptop.
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