Qualcomm today introduced a new Snapdragon processor, but this one is meant for use in a form factor that's not a smartphone.
The Snapdragon 850 is now official, and it targets laptop PCs. Specifically, Qualcomm says that the new Snapdragon chipset is for "Always On, Always Connected PCs" running Windows 10. The Snapdragon 850 uses a 10nm platform and includes a Snapdragon X20 LTE modem that supports peak download speeds up to 1.2Gbps.
Other features of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon include an AI Engine for up to 3X AI performance over the previous generation Snapdragon 835 chipset as well as 10-bit HDR video playback and streaming. Battery life is improved, too, with a 25 percent increase in battery life over the previous generation chipset along with 30 percent faster graphics and processing speeds.
The first Windows 10 devices with the Snapdragon 850 processor are expected to launch in 2018. To celebrate the arrival of the Snapdragon 850, Sprint will offer free unlimited data in 2018 on Snapdragon-powered PCs from ASUS, HP, and Lenovo.