The tech world is abuzz with the latest news from Qualcomm, as the company’s Snapdragon X series of chips is set to rival Apple Silicon. In a move that will surely shake up the industry, Microsoft has also announced plans to make an Arm version of its next Surface tablet flagship.
Major apps like Chrome and Dropbox have released Arm-native Windows versions in preparation for the new chips, showcasing their commitment to staying ahead of the curve. In an exciting development, Qualcomm has announced a new lower-end model, the Snapdragon X Plus, ahead of the flagship launch.
The Snapdragon X Plus boasts 10 CPU cores, a lower base frequency, and GPU TFLOP, making it a formidable competitor in the market. In fact, the X Plus has been compared favorably to Apple’s M3 in multi-threaded performance, giving Apple a run for its money.
What’s more, the X Plus shares basic Oryon CPU architecture with former Apple Silicon engineers, solidifying its credentials in the industry. Both the X Elite and X Plus chips use the same 4nm manufacturing process and NPU, meeting Microsoft’s rumored requirements for “AI PCs.”
The chips are expected to come equipped with AI-focused features, including on-device processing and a generative AI assistant. Microsoft has even released the Phi-3-mini language model, which boasts performance equivalent to GPT 3.5 using fewer parameters.
Overall, the Snapdragon X series is shaping up to be a game-changer in the world of technology, with its impressive performance and focus on AI capabilities. Keep an eye out for these cutting-edge chips as they make their mark on the industry.
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