Qualcomm develops new Snapdragon 850 chip for Windows 10

In December of last year, Microsoft announced a partnership with telecommunications equipment manufacturer Qualcomm to unveil the ‘Always Connected PC’. This is a Windows 10-based device that runs on a mobile processor, allowing for always-on LTE connectivity and longer battery life. While reviews of the initial units that took advantage of the technology weren’t generally favorable due to performance issues, it seems that the two companies are improving the experience further.

At the Computex 2018 event in Taiwan, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 850 Mobile Compute Platform. The chipset brings a host of new features that are designed around Windows 10. It is also an advancement over the Snapdragon 835 smartphone processor, which was used on the HP Envy x2, Lenovo Miix 630 and the Asus NovaGo.

The chip offers 30 percent increase in performance, 20 percent increase in battery and 20 percent increase in Gigabit LTE speeds. This is because of the new Hexagon 685 digital signal processor (DSP), Kryo 385 CPU and X20 LTE modem. Qualcomm further claims that compared to the first-generation devices that can offer a “beyond all-day battery life,” the new version now can now last much longer.

Moreover, the Snapdragon 850 supports Qualcomm Aqstic and aptX audio. Microsoft’s Machine Learning SDK and artificial intelligence platforms will also be utilized by the processor, enabling it to support AI in apps through direct hardware acceleration. It now also allows 4K UHD video capture and multi-monitor setups.

Qualcomm said that Snapdragon 850-powered Windows 10 devices will start to hit stores in time for the holiday season.

With the idea of using mobile processors on full-fledged Windows laptops and tablets finally becoming a possibility, this development will likely help create new ways for consumers to become productive. With LTE connectivity, users will no longer need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot or subscribe to a broadband service to access the internet on their computers. The extended battery life will also become a strong selling point, as typical laptops only last for a few hours. Volume buyers can expect that these devices will slowly become more prevalent in the market, as manufacturers and consumers turn more to mobile devices to get work done.