The potential introduction of Google chips could significantly impact Windows on Arm, addressing longstanding challenges.
Authored by Tom Warren, a seasoned editor specializing in Microsoft, gaming, systems, and software. He established WinRumors, a platform dedicated to Microsoft news, before becoming part of The Verge in 2012.
Microsoft is gearing up to unveil its “AI PCs” initiative at an upcoming event in Seattle. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s strategy have revealed to The Verge that the upcoming Arm-based Windows laptops powered by the future Snapdragon X Elite chips are poised to surpass Apple’s M3-powered MacBook Air in terms of CPU performance and AI-accelerated tasks.
The anticipated Snapdragon X Elite chips are expected to provide the efficiency boost needed to drive Windows on Arm more robustly, marking a significant advancement after years of unfulfilled promises from Qualcomm. Microsoft is placing a strong bet on Qualcomm’s future Snapdragon X Elite processors, set to feature in a range of Windows laptops this year, including Microsoft’s latest consumer-focused Surface hardware.
Microsoft is preparing various demonstrations to showcase the enhanced performance of these processors, which are projected to outperform the M3 MacBook Air in CPU tasks, AI processing, and software emulation. As per internal documents obtained by The Verge, Microsoft claims that these new Windows AI PCs will offer “faster application emulation than Rosetta 2,” Apple’s application compatibility layer used on Apple Silicon Macs to translate apps designed for 64-bit Intel processors to Apple’s proprietary processors.
While Windows on Arm has grappled with app emulation challenges over the past decade, Microsoft addressed this over two years ago with Windows 11 x64 app emulation, ensuring app compatibility on Windows on Arm devices when native ARM64 versions are unavailable. With Google recently launching its ARM64 version of Chrome optimized for forthcoming devices, the availability of native Arm apps is crucial for enhancing performance on future Windows on Arm laptops.
Microsoft has already revealed an Intel-powered Surface Pro 10.
Insider information suggests that Microsoft’s Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will be equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processors instead of Intel’s Core Ultra chips. While Microsoft had initially announced Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 models featuring Intel Core Ultra processors, the Arm-based variants are targeted towards consumers.
Internally referred to as “next-gen AI Copilot PCs,” devices running Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processors are poised to differentiate themselves from competitors utilizing AMD’s latest chips or Intel’s Core Ultra processors. These next-generation computers will introduce innovative AI-powered Windows features, including an AI Explorer app enabling users to retrieve past activities on their devices.
The AI Explorer functions as a timeline accessible on the computer, allowing users to revisit past events. This feature, recently detailed by Windows Central, resembles Microsoft’s Deleted Timeline in Windows 10 but now leverages a Neural Processing Unit chip to scan through an event timeline. Compatible with any Windows app, AI Explorer facilitates the recall of previous user actions.
Reports indicate that Microsoft is integrating a new AI-driven capability into these “next-gen” AI PCs to enhance video streaming on Arm-powered Windows devices. Additionally, users can leverage free AI models to generate images and enable Copilot to utilize the PC’s context for improved prompts and responses, along with access to Windows Studio Effects for background blur and other functionalities.
Qualcomm has showcased the Snapdragon X Elite chips to the media, demonstrating confidence in their performance. Benchmarks indicate superiority over Apple’s M2 processor in various aspects and Intel’s latest Core Ultra 7 chips. The future may witness gaming laptops powered by Arm processors, as Qualcomm asserts that the majority of Windows games will seamlessly function on its upcoming Arm-based laptops.
Microsoft’s significant AI PC announcement is slated for May 20th, just ahead of the annual Build developers conference. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, is expected to outline the company’s “AI vision across hardware and software,” focusing on the release of Windows on Arm and the integration of AI features into Windows 11.
Insiders suggest that Microsoft envisions a “Copilot for every person” concept, reminiscent of its historic vision of a “PC in every home” for Windows. With a strong emphasis on AI in Windows, Microsoft anticipates that 50% of all new Windows devices by the end of 2026 will run on AI-capable chips. Following the unveiling of Microsoft’s AI PC strategy, a new wave of Windows on Arm devices is expected to launch in June.
The Verge will provide comprehensive coverage of Microsoft’s AI PCs event on May 20th, offering insights into the new Surface devices and Microsoft’s Build developers conference.
