Qualcomm says the Snapdragon X Elite is going beyond laptops, which makes total sense

Qualcomm Computex press event showing Snapdragon X Elite device types
(Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • At its Computex keynote, Qualcomm has stated that it will be going beyond laptops with the new Snapdragon X Elite. 
  • Without mentioning any specific devices, the slide at the event clearly shows both a mini PC and an AiO. 
  • Qualcomm already announced its own dev kit consisting of a mini PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite, but this seems like the logical next step. 

The tech world never slows down and following the big Surface and Copilot+ PC launch recently, Computex is now going down in Taipei. Qualcomm is out there, too, and naturally, has been talking up its new platform. 

Obviously, we're all eagerly anticipating getting our hands on the first laptops with the new chips inside, but there has been one glaring gap as yet unfilled. Everything powered by Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite has, so far, been a laptop. But at its Computex event, Qualcomm has confirmed that won't be the way forever. 

Without getting into specifics on what's coming and which of the hardware manufacturers will be making it, Qualcomm's slide clearly shows both an all-in-one and a mini PC. These are just more likely just generic shapes rather than teases of actual hardware, but it's a telling sign. 

And it's unlikely that Qualcomm would be talking about its own dev kit in this context. 

I've already written how the hardware I want to see most powered by Qualcomm is a Windows-alike of the Apple Mac Mini, and it looks like, eventually, I'll be satisfied. Laptops are an important, and obvious, target for new chips like these. But there are still a lot of us out there that use a desktop machine for our day-to-day. 

Qualcomm has a LOT of partners now.  (Image credit: Windows Central)

Apple is the obvious comparison, keeping its own desktop lineup trucking with its ARM-based M-series chips. Over there those folks have the Mac Mini, the iMac, the Mac Studio, and the Mac Pro, all now powered by Apple Silicon. 

It would have been foolish for Windows OEMs not to consider the desktop in some way, even if we're going to have to wait a while longer to see what they come up with. This is very much just the beginning of Windows on ARM, even though it's not really the beginning. But it has been reborn, and this time it's going to matter. 

TOPICS
CATEGORIES
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

Read more
The badge for the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform.
Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X shakes up the $600 Windows laptop market, brings AI to everyone — Here's why Intel should be worried
The new Lenovo mini PCs with Snapdragon X
Snapdragon X is finally coming to mini PCs — Lenovo unveils new IdeaCentre and ThinkCentre PCs to compete with Mac Mini
Surface Laptop 7
Have Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon turned a corner? Qualcomm saw a massive surge in this specific PC market.
ASUS Vivobook 14 (2025)
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chip finds a home in refreshed Vivobook Copilot+ PCs from ASUS
The new Lenovo mini PCs with Snapdragon X
2025 is the year of the AI mini PC — Here are the 6 CES devices I'm most excited about
Acer Revo Box AI
Acer's Revo Box AI mini PC already looks more cutting-edge than the new Mac mini as it brings Copilot+ to your desktop
Latest in Laptops
Surface Pro 11
Microsoft’s smaller Surface Pro appears in certification database ahead of rumored launch this spring
Lenovo 16" IdeaPad Laptop on a man's lap and displaying a video call.
Today only, this 16" Lenovo laptop is more than 50% off and comes with Microsoft 365 — Access Word, PowerPoint, and more
Acer Swift 14 AI on a table and displaying background.
An $800 Snapdragon X Elite laptop is the best reason not to bother buying a MacBook Air
ASUS Zenbook A14 with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors
Google Drive is finally available for all Qualcomm Snapdragon Arm64 Windows 11 PCs
Image of HP AI PCs at HP Amplify 2025.
I flew to Nashville to see the one PC company actually delivering useful AI features — not just promising them
Surface Laptop 7
Amazon flags Surface Laptop 7 as a frequently returned item — warns buyers to check reviews first
Latest in News
Cloud servers
Microsoft has killed "several" data center projects in the U.S. and Europe, according to reports — Microsoft responds (Updated)
Photo of Microsoft's new sign-in page for Xbox.com using the Microsoft Edge browser.
Over one billion users will get a new Microsoft user experience, and it has a dark mode
The Thing: Remastered key art
The Thing comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" library alongside other new arrivals
Promotional screenshot of heroes fighting a giant in Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian's classic Baldur's Gate successor 'Pillars of Eternity' is getting a surprise turn-based mode later this year, alongside other updates
Atomfall
Atomfall reviews and Metacritic scores are in: Here's a roundup of what everyone's saying about this new Game Pass survival game
Screenshot of one of the new flat world presets in Minecraft.
Minecraft testing new flat world presets and a better way to locate your friends in-game