Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has announced plans to introduce Snapdragon X-powered PCs at a groundbreaking price point of $700 by next year. This revelation, made during the company's recent third-quarter earnings call, signals a significant shift in the accessibility of high-performance Arm-based computers. Currently, the most affordable Snapdragon X laptops on the market, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, retail for $999. The $700 price tag prospect represents a substantial reduction, potentially opening up the technology to a broader consumer base. The only "affordable" Snapdragon X-based PC is the Snapdragon Dev Kit, with a price point of $899. However, the entire laptop solution is still more expensive. Mr. Amon emphasized that despite the lower cost of the potential $700 units, these upcoming devices will maintain neural processing unit (NPU) performance. This commitment suggests that Qualcomm is confident in its ability to optimize costs without sacrificing the advanced capabilities that have made Snapdragon X chips appealing to power users and developers alike.

While specific details about the hardware configurations remain undisclosed, it is interesting to see what steps Qualcomm will take to deliver on this promise. If the company can provide 8-core chips with 16 GB of RAM to the masses for $700, the industry would likely react very well, especially students who require decent computing capabilities on the go, if the $700 PC ends up being a laptop. The announcement also hinted at an expansion of Qualcomm-powered computers, with new models expected to debut at the upcoming IFA tech conference. These additions will likely bolster the selection of Microsoft Copilot+ PCs, further integrating AI capabilities into everyday computing experiences. The CEO also noted, "We expect PC to be the next biggest driver of diversification for the company," with some Snapdragon X PC already being sold out. The demand appears to be strong, and undercutting competition on pricing is an ideal way to get as many customers on board as possible.

Today, Microsoft and Surface introduced the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever: Copilot+ PCs. The all-new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are the ultimate Copilot+ PCs, delivering incredible performance, all-day battery life and brand-new AI experiences. They showcase the beauty and innovation that happens at the intersection of software and hardware.

Surface was created to lead the PC industry with innovation and technology that showcases the best of Microsoft and empowers our customers to achieve more. We've been at the forefront of new PC categories, with thoughtful designs and new features that inspire our customers. And as we dive into the new wave of AI, Surface continues to put our customers first.

During the Copilot+ debut, Microsoft and global OEMs announced PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus - the only devices that are capable of bringing Copilot+ experiences to life today. The leading AI technology and performance efficiency of these platforms will power this groundbreaking new category, as Copilot+ revolutionizes how users interact with their PCs. Together, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Microsoft are taking intelligent computing to the next level and transforming the PC experience.

Qualcomm Technologies is restoring performance leadership to the Windows PC ecosystem with our leading NPU powered by Snapdragon X Elite which delivers the highest NPU performance per watt for laptops, up to 2.6X vs. M3 and up to 5.4X vs. Core Ultra 7. With the integrated Qualcomm Hexagon NPU architecture, it can deliver up to 24 TOPS/watt peak performance in uses cases like Super Resolution and with our leading Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Snapdragon X Elite leads in performance per watt, matching competitor peak PC CPU performance at 60% less power.

We are excited to announce the first Surface AI PCs built exclusively for business: Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business. These new PCs represent a major step forward in customer-focused design and are packed with features that business customers have been requesting - from amazing performance and battery life to more ports, better security and custom, durable anti-reflective displays. These are the first Surface PCs optimized for AI, with the new Copilot key being added to Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro keyboards that accelerate access to the best Windows AI experiences. In addition to the new Surface for Business products, we are pleased to announce the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories will now be available to commercial customers.

These new PCs are powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processors. We partnered with Intel to deliver the power and reliable performance our customers depend on, along with compelling AI experiences for Surface and the Windows ecosystem. Surface has also been leading in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) integration to drive AI experiences on the PC since 2019, and the benefits of these connected efforts are evident. From a performance perspective, Surface Laptop 6 is 2x faster than Laptop 52, and Surface Pro 10 is up to 53% faster than Pro 9. The benefits of the NPU integration include AI features like Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions and the opportunity for businesses and developers to build their own AI apps and experiences.

Today, we shared our vision for the next era of the Windows PC, where the PC and the cloud intersect and tap into innovative AI technology that unlocks new experiences. So that each of us can participate, be seen, heard and express our creativity.

For nearly 40 years, the Windows PC has held a place at the center of our lives. It's contributed to new levels of productivity, kept us all connected, and unlocked our creativity and potential through innovations we couldn't have imagined when we first began this journey. Just think about how far we've come in how people interact with it. From the very first text-based keyboard input to the precision of point and click with the mouse, up to today, where touch, voice, pen and gestures all help people use the Windows PC more naturally and intuitively. From its inception, Surface has been a catalyst for that change.

The new Surface Laptop Studio features what Microsoft calls a boundary-pushing design, yet we felt like we'd seen the easel before. Lo and behold, Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel launched last year with a very similar design and HP launched the similar Spectre Folio in 2018. Not to belittle Microsoft here, as they have designed a much slicker hinge mechanism than Acer, while seemingly also improving upon the materials used and unlike HP's Spectre Folio, this is a "full fat" laptop and not a glorified tablet.

The Surface Laptop Studio is a strange looking machine, as it has an overhang, something I never expected to see on a laptop and although it appears to have been designed to allow for better cooling, there's just something about it that irks me. Yes, it makes it appear thinner than it really is and Microsoft uses the overhang to tuck away and charge the optional Surface Slim Pen 2 underneath, but it just looks odd for a lack of a better word. Oddities aside, it should be Microsoft's most powerful Intel powered laptop to date and it even packs a discrete NVIDIA GPU.

Microsoft's hardware legacy stretches back more than four decades to the early days of personal computing. As Windows built and inspired new computing experiences, new Microsoft hardware accessories helped people interact with them. At this intersection of hardware and software, magical experiences are possible. This core belief is at the heart of every product we build at Microsoft, and it's especially true of our Surface products. For almost a decade, Surface has pioneered breakthrough experiences that immerse people in their creative flow, eliminating friction that often exists between people and technology.

Surface allows people to adapt to new ways of working and creating through innovative and versatile devices that offer premium design and performance, quality typing and trackpads, exceptional cameras and mics, and immersive touchscreen display technologies. From the student learning on their Surface Go or Surface Laptop Go, to the knowledge worker on their Surface Pro 7+, to the creative professional working on a Surface Book 3, these products now serve as a lifeline to connections, content and work. It's inspiring to consider all that can be achieved on a Surface.

The idea of working and learning from home, which at one point felt temporary, has for many of us started to feel more permanent. Even as some people in cities around the world return to work and schools in person, many others have found themselves reorganizing homes to create makeshift offices and classrooms. Whether your commute is across the house or across town, the PC continues to play an integral role in keeping all of us connected to our work, school, and lives - and each person in the household needs one.

As we continue to expand our Surface family of devices with the new Surface Laptop Go and updates to Surface Pro X, our goal is to design a Surface for every person, work style and location. To give every person in your household or organization a laptop that's not just something you need to use, but something you want to use. A virtual office you want to be in, a virtual classroom that engages you to learn, a place you can play your favorite game or watch a movie - with a bright vibrant screen, a fluid and comfortable keyboard, high quality cameras and mics, and the versatility of touch screens.

A 3D mark entry uncovered by database spelunker Tum_Apisak, since shared on Twitter, points towards Microsoft incorporating AMD's latest and greatest mobility-geared CPU in one of their upcoming product refreshes. The database entry register an unknown Microsoft device carrying ÃMD's Ryzen 7 4800U CPU. All specs are correct for this CPU - GPU cores, GPU clock, as well as CPU base and boost clocks.

While we can't know for sure this is Microsoft's next iteration of the Surface Laptop, assuming it is just an educated guess. Microsoft's current-gen Surface Laptop 3 shipped in a special, AMD-inside edition in the form of the "Microsoft Surface Edition" Ryzen 5 3580U - and if Microsoft included an AMD Zen+ CPU manufactured in a 12 nm fabrication process inside their Surface Laptop, we would find it very hard to justify not including the much-improved Ryzen 7 4800U - the chip is better in any conceivable way compared to its last-gen counterpart. This is a sure way of improving overall performance and battery life of their Surface Laptops compared to what the competition has currently available.

Today, at a launch event in New York City, Microsoft previewed the Surface Neo, a category-defining device co-engineered with Intel. The dual-screen device will be powered by Intel's unique processor, code-named "Lakefield," that features an industry-first architecture combining a hybrid CPU with Intel's Foveros 3D packaging technology. It offers device-makers more flexibility to innovate on design, form factor and experience.

"The innovation we've achieved with Lakefield gives our industry partners the ability to deliver on new experiences, and Microsoft's Neo is trailblazing a new category of devices. Intel is committed to pushing the boundaries of computing by delivering key technology innovations for partners across the ecosystem," said Gregory Bryant, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group.

Today, AMD and Microsoft announced the first-ever 15-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop powered by new AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition processors. A significant, multi-year co-engineering program between AMD and Microsoft at the silicon, platform, and software levels created this 15" Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 with a perfect balance of performance, battery life, and sleek and lightweight design. Combining world-class compute and graphics performance with a fully optimized, rearchitected system software stack including AMD Radeon FreeSync display technology, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is designed for creative professionals, students, gamers on the go, and business users who value the large screen experience alongside portability. The custom AMD Ryzen Microsoft Surface Edition processors and optimized software highlight the latest example in the multi-year collaboration between AMD and Microsoft, first established more than a decade ago for the Microsoft Xbox and now spanning from Azure to Surface to xCloud and Project Scarlett.