It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard details about Windows 10 on ARM, but Microsoft and Qualcomm both shared interesting news about it during the Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong this week. Microsoft first announced Windows 10 on ARM back in December 2016 at WinHEC, saying at the time that the first devices running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 were expected to hit the market in late 2017.
According to a report from Trusted Reviews (via The Verge), Don McGuire, VP of Global Product Marketing for Qualcomm said during the event that both companies will be able to respect that timeline. “I think that expectation will be met,” Mc Guire said. You’ll be hearing more from us over the next coming weeks regarding that.”
Pete Bernard, Principal Group Program Manager for Connectivity Partners at Microsoft echoed this statement. “We’ve been working furiously in Redmond and with our partners in San Diego,” he added. “We have hundreds of these devices being used on a daily basis in Redmond.” Bernard also shared that Qualcomm’s energy-efficient ARM chips will deliver “really, really good battery life on these new connected PCs:
“To be frank, it’s actually beyond our expectations,” he said. “We set a high bar for [our developers], and we’re now beyond that. It’s the kind of battery life where I use it on a daily basis. I don’t take my charger with me. I may charge it every couple of days or so. It’s that kind of battery life.” Bernard added: “I would consider it a game-changer in terms of the way people have experienced PCs in the past.”
For now, only HP, Asus, and Lenovo are onboard with Windows 10 on ARM, but Bernard also suggested at the event that more OEMs could join the initiative in the future. “Over time, there’s going to be a portfolio of devices from manufacturers,” said Bernard. We’ve had some conversations with other OEMs too, for future devices, that are very exciting about bringing their own spin,” he added.
