Microsoft and Qualcomm demonstrate first always-on Windows 10 laptops with Snapdragon 835

Posted on Tuesday, December 05 2017 @ 21:41 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
As expected, one of the big show offs at today's Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii were the ARM-based Windows 10 laptops. Microsoft collaborated with Qualcomm to get Windows 10 running on the Snapdragon 835 via emulation.

These devices are marketed as "always-on" and "always connected". Microsoft promises a Windows 10 PC with the Snapdragon 835 could work for a week on a single battery charge. Of course, this doesn't mean the devices actually have a battery life of one week. What it really means is that under some use cases, you can go about one week without having to charge these ARM-based Windows 10 laptops.

Two laptops were shown on stage, including the ASUS NovaGo Gigabit LTE laptop and the HP ENVY x2.

Here we have the ASUS NovaGo, this 2-in-1 model has Gigabit LTE and promises 22 hours of active use and 30 days of standby time.

ASUS NovaGo

The other model is the HP ENVY x2, this 4G LTE2 device has a detachable keyboard and promises up to 20 hours of active use. Some more info can be found at the Microsoft blog:

HP ENVY x2
This new Always Connected PC is ultrathin, beautifully designed, running Windows 10 and a new, optimized version of Office 365. But beyond the full experiences you’d expect in a PC, this new Always Connected PC has fundamentally transformed how I work, because of three significant advantages over my other PCs.

The screen is instantly on whenever I pick up the device. I never have to wait for it to wake up, it’s just on.

  • Being always connected wherever I am whether I am in the car, airport or coffee shop, always being connected just feels like the most natural, safe and secure way to work with teams and be creative.

  • Lastly, the battery life is just awesome! I am finding myself charging it once a week. When I was using a wearable that needed to charge every day, I didn’t really rely on it. Once I moved to a Fitbit that only needed charging once a week that was game changing for me. Not carrying around power cords is liberating.

  • Once you start using this new category of PCs that are instantly on, always connected with a week of battery life and the full Windows 10 experience, you can really feel what a big shift this will be for consumers.
  • One company that's definitely not happy about this trend is Intel. They're watching these ARM-based Windows 10 systems like a hawk to ensure there's no x86 IP violation.



    About the Author

    Thomas De Maesschalck

    Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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