Microsoft said yesterday that it is paving the way for easier, faster Windows 10 computing on mobile devices with new support from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM processors. The partnership, announced at a Windows hardware engineering event in China, could lead to new mobile products running Windows 10 “as early as next year,” according to Microsoft executive Terry Myerson.
The Windows 10-Snapdragon union could pose a threat to Intel’s position as the market leader in PC chips, a number of observers have noted. At the same time, however, Microsoft yesterday also announced it was collaborating with Intel to bring new security and artificial-intelligence features to PCs, with a focus on gaming and mixed-reality applications.
Together, developments like these could signal that significant shifts in the microprocessor market are on the horizon. They could also enable a second chance for Microsoft to bring the full Windows experience to mobile devices, an effort the company failed to achieve with its previous Window RT mobile operating system.
Targeting Windows Users on the Go
In a blog post about several announcements made yesterday in China, Myerson — who is executive vice president for Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group — said the new Snapdragon-powered collaboration with Qualcomm is aimed at meeting “our customers’ growing needs to create on the go.”
“For the first time ever, our customers will be able to experience the Windows they know with all the apps, peripherals, and enterprise capabilities they require, on a truly mobile, power efficient, always-connected cellular PC,” Myerson said. “With Windows 10 on cellular PCs, we will help everyone make the most of the air around them.”
By using Qualcomm’s ARM chips instead of Intel’s X86-based processors, Microsoft hopes to enable a new generation of Windows 10-native mobile devices like tablets and laptops. Traditionally limited to low-power applications, ARM chips…