Here’s what’s inside the Qualcomm-powered Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 on ARM developers

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by Radu Tyrsina 

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Qualcomm and Microsoft aim to push the Windows 10 on ARM ecosystem forward with the release of an affordable Snapdragon Developer Kit later this summer. The small form factor PC was announced alongside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute platform, which will power this new Snapdragon Developer Kit and other entry-tier ARM-based Windows laptops.

The official announcement from Qualcomm was pretty light on details regarding the Snapdragon Developer Kit, but the Mac Mini-like PC has been spotted under a different name on the website of the Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), a Taiwan-based manufacturer of motherboards and computer products (via Thurrott). ECS has since confirmed to us that its Qualcomm-powered QC710 PC is indeed identical to the Snapdragon Developer Kit, and the company will be working with Microsoft and Qualcomm to promote it with developers in the coming months.

The ECS website has listed comprehensive specs for the Snapdragon Developer Kit, which you can find below:

  • SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform (SC 7180)
  • Memory: 4GB LPDDR4
  • Storage: 64GB eMMC
  • Ports: 1 USB 2.0 Type-C (PD-Charging), 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1 USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 MicroSD, 1 Micro-SIM card slot type, 1 Ethernet (10/100), 1 HDMI
  • Connectivity: eSIM, optional 802.11ax WiFi
  • Weight: 0.23 kg
  • Dimensions: 119 mm (W) x 116.6 mm (D) x 35 mm (H)

These are pretty low specs overall, though keep in mind that the purpose of this Snapdragon Developer Kit is to offer an affordable alternative to other Windows 10 on ARM products such as Microsoft’s Surface Pro X, which starts at $999. There are no pricing details yet for the Snapdragon Developer Kit, though Qualcomm said that the mini PC will be available to purchase from the Microsoft Store later this summer.

While this small form factor PC is targeting developers, it will be interesting to see if consumers will also be able to get their hands on it later this year. Apple’s Mac Mini and Intel’s NUC devices have proven that there’s definitely a market for mini PCs, and maybe Windows 10 on ARM could really thrive on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7c Compute platform.

Do you think Microsoft and other manufacturers could eventually release Qualcomm-powered mini PCs to compete with Apple’s M1-based Mac Mini? Sound off in the comments below.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina Shield

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.