Qualcomm Launches Revolutionary PC Processor to Compete with Apple and Intel

In its ongoing attempt to enter the personal computer market, Qualcomm Inc. has introduced a new laptop processor aimed at surpassing the performance of competing products from Intel Corp. and Apple Inc.

The new Snapdragon X has 12 high-performance cores capable of crunching data at 3.8 megahertz, Qualcomm said at a company event Tuesday in Hawaii. The chip is up to twice as fast as an equivalent Intel 12-core processor, but uses 68% less power, Qualcomm claims.

The announcement is the latest sign of increased competition in the computer processor market. Nvidia Corp. is developing its own central processing unit — the brain of the PC — using Arm Holdings Plc’s chip designs, people familiar with the matter said earlier this week. And Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Intel’s longtime rival in computer processors, is also developing a new CPU using Arm technology.

Such developments and Apple’s internal chip efforts support Qualcomm’s decision to seek a foothold in computers, CEO Cristiano Amon said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. The personal computer market is ready to embrace Arm technology, he said.

The San Diego-based company’s stock rose as much as 1.5% after Tuesday’s announcement, but then retreated on Wednesday as part of a broader tech downturn. Qualcomm’s shares have fallen behind the general rally in semiconductor stocks this year, hurt by subdued demand in its main market area, smartphone chips.

With the Snapdragon X, Qualcomm shows off the amazing industry with much faster performance. It claims the new chip can run at peak times 50% faster than Apple’s M2, which the company has touted as the market-leading computer processor.

Qualcomm needs to show it can back up these bold claims if it wants to break into the PC market. Intel’s technology, licensed by AMD for its own processors, still dominates the field.

So far, only Apple’s own designs have gained a significant foothold at the expense of that standard, and its share of industry shipments only recently exceeded 10%.

But the way people use computers is changing, Amon said in an interview. The product has already become more of a communication device, and the addition of artificial intelligence features, such as Microsoft Corp.’s 365 Copilot, will bring more change.

“The whole experience becomes an AI experience,” he said. “We just unveiled the fastest processor of any mobile device.”

Snapdragon X originated from the startup Nuvia Inc. that Amon bought in 2021. The company, founded by former Apple executive Gerard Williams, brought new chip designs to Qualcomm and helped reduce dependence on technology manufactured by Armi.

Read more: Qualcomm buys Server Chip Designer Nuvia for $1.4 billion

In addition to general performance benefits, the new processor has features designed specifically for artificial intelligence software, Qualcomm said. The chipmaker has argued that artificial intelligence will only reach its full potential if it moves out of data centers and into end-user devices such as phones and computers.

Nvidia is the leading maker of data center chips that accelerate artificial intelligence, and its own efforts to make inroads into PC processors should stiffen the competition. This company’s PC offering and AMD’s new Arm chip are expected as early as 2025.

Intel, on the other hand, is under attack in a market it has dominated since the 1980s. The company, which remains one of the world’s largest chip makers, is trying to regain its footing by investing heavily in new technology under the leadership of CEO Pat Gelsinger.

Separately, Qualcomm announced a new version of its Snapdragon 8 lineup for smartphones. This so-called system-on-a-chip, which includes a processor, modem and other components, is the first designed with AI workloads in mind, Qualcomm said.