Snapdragon X: Qualcomm Names Its Apple Silicon Challenger for 2024
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After some years of mystery, Qualcomm announced a name change for its processors designed for PCs. Instead of the confusingly named Snapdragon 8cx (and hopefully 7cx) family, the chips for Windows-connected laptops will be branded under the new Snapdragon X family line.
The new SoC range—"compute platform" for Qualcomm—is scheduled to launch in 2024 to replace the current chips used on Windows on ARM (WoA) devices. Without going into details, the North American company confirmed that the new SoC will be powered by the Oryon CPU announced almost a year ago.
The new CPU follows a custom design derived from the Nuvia acquisition at the beginning of 2021, which was broadly seen as a response to the launch (and later success) of Apple's custom ARM CPUs in the Mac family of personal computers. The existing Snapdragon 8cx processors feature ARM Cortex CPUs with a few design changes which are then branded under the "Kryo" banner.
The Snapdragon X family will actually mark a return of Qualcomm's custom ARM cores, which were retired with the original Kryo CPU used on the Snapdragon 820 from 2015. That CPU was a short-lived follow-up to the Scorpion and Krait custom CPU used in earlier Snapdragon chips.
Boring semiconductor history aside, Qualcomm announced that the name was chosen "after extensive analysis, consumer research, ideation, and feedback from the PC ecosystem", and that it helps distinguish the PC platform from the mobile Snapdragon family while providing a clear product line structure.
To match the new platform, Qualcomm promised a new set of logos and badges that will surely be featured in a connected laptop wristrest near you next year. The company promised an early look at the visual branding and more details about the new Snapdragon X family for its Snapdragon Summit, scheduled for October 24.
Source: Qualcomm
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