There could be an 'entry-level' Snapdragon X chip in the cards

Qualcomm has its sights set on Apple as it delivers its Snapdragon X chips to the laptop market. Just like Apple’s M-series chips, Qualcomm’s ARM-based processors offer better battery life and thermals compared to traditional Intel and AMD processors. According to a new report, we might see a Snapdragon X chip designed for entry-level laptops.

Qualcomm’s newest chips seem to bring the goods in terms of power, but power comes at a price. The computers using its Snapdragon X Elite chips sit comfortably above $1,000. We’ve seen some more affordable computers running the less powerful Snapdragon X Plus. It’s a step in the right direction, but trying out Qualcomm’s latest and greatest still costs a pretty penny.

Qualcomm could launch a Snapdragon chip for entry-level laptops

Qualcomm just held its investor day, which is an important event for any major brand. During the presentation, the company talked about its milestones and where it’s going. Of course, Qualcomm had to dedicate some time to talk about AI, but what tech company isn’t obsessed with that technology nowadays?

However, during a presentation, we saw a slide showing the entire lineup of Snapdragon X devices. Along with the Snapdragon X Elite, X Plus (10-core), and X Plus (8-core), we see another chip with the text “Coming soon” on it. Next to it, we see “Entry” (meaning entry-level) and “$600+.”

So, it looks like this unnamed chip will power laptops as cheap as $600. A $600 laptop is rather affordable, but it can still offer some decent power.

Right now, details about this chip are basically non-existent. For instance, Qualcomm doesn’t even show a name for the chip. Since all of the more powerful chips are either an Elite or Plus variant, this lower-powered chip could just be called the Snapdragon X.

When it comes to the cutbacks, you should expect weaker performance and diminished AI smarts. You may not see as much on-device AI processing on computers using this chip.

As for the official launch, sources claim that Qualcomm will show this chip off at CES 2025, so we’ll see more of it then.