Qualcomm’s new chipset aims to revitalize entry-level PCs
The entry-level laptop space has exploded over the course of last year due to a spike in remote working. However, such machines typically have compromises on the performance, battery life or design front. With the new Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm aims to address all of those constraints without increasing the costs.
As the name suggests, it is the successor to the Snapdragon 7c from 2019, and sits below the Snapdragon 8c and 8cx Gen 2 which have better performance but come at higher target price points. The Snapdragon 7x Gen 2 will power mid-range Windows PCs and Chromebooks — usually labelled as “Always-connected” for their extreme portability and connectivity. Just like smartphones, they can wake up from sleep in a matter of seconds.
Unlike other Windows machines, the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 platform does away with the conventional x86 architecture in favour of an Arm design. Built on an 8nm process, it has eight cores with the Prime core being a Kryo 468 clocked at 2.55GHz, with support for LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1/eMMC 5.1 storage. There’s also an integrated Snapdragon X15 4G LTE modem for on-the-go connectivity, enabling seamless switching between cellular and Wi-Fi.
Introducing the #Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform, a powerful new platform built with the performance you need and battery life you deserve: https://t.co/pZSgsKriih pic.twitter.com/jQ037MQ8ZxMay 24, 2021
Qualcomm considers Intel Evo laptops as the closest competitor and says that Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 PCs will not only be significantly cheaper, but also offer way better battery life and stable performance and connectivity. According to some third-party surveys, battery life and reliable Wi-Fi are amongst the most important features for consumers in the current scheme of things.
With up to 19+ hours of use on a single charge, Qualcomm prefers to measure the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2’s battery life in days and not hours.
Qualcomm’s fifth-generation AI Engine is capable of over 5 trillion operations per second. It helps in making up for hardware constraints such as better call quality via voice recognition, computational photography for clearer video calls, etc. Other Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 features include Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm Aqstic, Qualcomm AptX HD and more.
The first device powered by the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 will launch this Summer, but the OEM was not revealed. Historically, very few of these laptops have come to India, but Qualcomm tells us that manufacturers are considering changing that this season.
To ensure a smoother transition from x86 workflows and bring more developers onboard, Qualcomm will also make available a Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows, built in collaboration with Microsoft. It will be an affordable alternative for developers to create, verify and optimize their offerings for the Arm-based Snapdragon compute platform. More details will be shared at the Microsoft Build 2021 conference slated for May 25-27.
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