Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processors bring a fresh approach to Windows laptops, offering days-long battery life—a clear advantage over the power-hungry nature of traditional laptop chips. However, their high price has kept them out of reach for many. This may soon change, as rumors suggest a more affordable Snapdragon X chip is on the way.
The Snapdragon X lineup began with the “Elite,” a premium chip designed to compete with Apple’s M-series processors in high-end laptops. These devices typically cost over $1,200, limiting their appeal to casual users.
Qualcomm later introduced the “Plus” variant, which lowered laptop prices to around $1,000. Then in September, they also unveiled a more budget-conscious version of the Snapdragon X Plus, finding its way into devices like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1, which launched at a cool $849.
An even more affordable Snapdragon X chip
And it now seems Qualcomm plans to offer even more affordable chips for Windows laptops. During a recent Investor Day presentation, Qualcomm teased an “entry-level” Snapdragon X chip aimed at sub-$700 Windows laptops. Qualcomm hopes this new addition will make Snapdragon X technology accessible to a broader audience.
Details about the chip’s performance remain sparse. Qualcomm has confirmed it will include the same Neural Processing Unit (NPU) found in higher-end models. The NPU enables the impressive battery life and AI features these processors are known for.
This also means laptops powered by these chips will feature Copilot+ PC branding, which requires minimum specs such as 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. These features are likely to appear even in more affordable devices.
However, it’s unclear what sacrifices will be made to hit the lower price point. Reduced CPU cores or slightly downgraded graphical performance could be potential trade-offs.
Qualcomm hasn’t announced a release date yet, but with CES 2025 just around the corner in January, the event seems like a likely stage for its debut.
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