Chipmaker Qualcomm is usually known for providing flagship phones with its own flagship Snapdragon chips. It also has two generations of the Snapdragon X series for laptops. And within the series, the company has segregated them into Plus and Elite variants, as well as an Elite Extreme variant with the second generation. But now, the company is announcing a new series which it is dedicating entirely to entry-level machines, called Snapdragon C.
Per the announcement, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon C Platform “to make modern personal computing more accessible to students, families and small businesses”. The company describes the Snapdragon C as “a new entry-tier processor” which can still support smooth web browsing, video streaming and productivity. There’s also an integrated NPU for AI functionality for the instances where they are performed on-device rather than on the cloud.
Qualcomm also says that “Snapdragon C is engineered for power efficient everyday computing experiences people rely on in entry-level laptops without sacrificing portability or all-day battery life”. The company also says that it is made for “cool, quiet designs”. Chances are, that means some of the laptops using them will also be of the fanless variety.
Kedar Kondap, senior VP and GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, says that “ we’re delivering modern computing experiences that help our ecosystem reach new audiences and expanding access to reliable, efficient technology for students, families, customer-facing small businesses, and beyond”. So it probably helps to some degree that the brand is targeting a starting price of US$300 (~RM1,193) for the laptops getting the Snapdragon C chip.
On that note, Qualcomm also says that a number of laptop makers are working on their own laptops featuring the Snapdragon C chip within the year. The company names Acer, HP and Lenovo specifically, and their products “are expected to hit shelves later this year”, though no specifics have been shared yet.
