US CHIPMAKER Qualcomm has confirmed that it's working on a Snapdragon 7cx SoC for low-cost Windows 10 on ARM laptops.

The company already has its Snapdragon 8cx chip that'll be slotted into = so-called Always Connected PCs later this year; these are basically low-powered laptops or 2-in-1s designed to run Windows 10 while sipping battery life and touting LTE connectivity.

But Microsoft watchers Thurrott reported, via the Mobile Tech Podcast, that Qualcomm's vice president Don McGuire has confirmed the company is working on a new lower-powered version of the Snapdragon chip which will sport the 7cx nomenclature, at least for the time being.

Such a chip will provide OEMs with a cheaper slice of silicon for creating more affordable Always Connected PCs.

Prices for current Always Connected machines, which run either a Snapdragon 835 or 850, seem to vary a fair bit, with some sitting around the $300 mark and others pushing $1,000. We had a brief search for UK prices for Always Connected PCs but a lot seem to be missing in action or out of stock.

Either way, the Always Connected PCs - which tend to be mostly 2-in-1 devices - never seemed to be priced as enticingly low as Chromebooks. That's probably why we haven't seen many of them in circulation.

But a cheaper chip could see computer makers bang out cheaper Windows 10 laptops. And with improvements Qualcomm tends to make with its newer chips, the Snapdragon 7cx could be perfectly decent at powering Windows 10 for most day-to-day work tasks and the things you're likely to get up to while on the move - no, not you at the back, we've seen your browsing history and that's not normal.

There's no word on when Snapdragon 7cx powered machines will reach the market, but it's looking likely they'll arrive after machines with the 8cx launch.

By: DocMemory
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