Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon C chip for $300 laptops

Qualcomm ↗6.17% announced the Snapdragon C Platform Wednesday, a mobile-derived chip powering Windows laptops starting at $300 with on-device AI.tomshardware
The chip uses Kryo architecture prioritizing battery life and fanless designs but will not support Microsoft’s ↗0.13% Copilot+ features.tomshardware
Acer, HP ↗1.38%, and Lenovo ↘0.57% are confirmed launch partners, with devices expected later this year competing against Intel ↗10.64% and MediaTek Chromebook chips.tomshardware

Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon C Chip for $300 Windows Laptops

Qualcomm on Thursday unveiled the Snapdragon C Platform, a new entry-level processor aimed at bringing Windows on Arm to laptops priced at $300 and up — a segment long dominated by Chromebooks and low-end Intel machines. The announcement comes ahead of Computex 2026, where CEO Cristiano Amon will deliver the opening keynote on June 1.computexdaily

The chip is designed for students, families, and small businesses, offering responsive performance for web browsing, video streaming, productivity tasks, and video calls. It includes an integrated NPU for on-device AI processing, a notable addition at this price point, though Qualcomm confirmed the platform will not support Microsoft’s Copilot+ features.tomshardware

A Different Architecture for the Budget Tier

Unlike Qualcomm’s higher-end Snapdragon X and X2 series, which use the company’s custom Oryon CPU cores, the Snapdragon C is built on a custom variant of the Kryo architecture originally designed for mobile phones. The design prioritizes power efficiency and cool, quiet operation — hinting at the possibility of fanless laptop designs — rather than raw performance. Qualcomm promises “all-day battery life,” though specific figures were not disclosed.qualcomm

“As costs rise and customer expectations evolve, Snapdragon C brings together value oriented computing, all-day battery life, AI capabilities and responsive performance in cool-quiet devices,” said Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm Technologies.qualcomm

Launch Partners and Market Position

Acer is first to market with the Aspire Go 15, which will feature 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. HP and Lenovo are also confirmed as launch partners, though firm specifications and release dates have not yet been shared. Devices are expected to reach shelves later this year.tomshardware

At roughly $300, these laptops will compete directly with Chromebooks powered by Intel’s N-Series and MediaTek’s Kompanio series. The price point also positions the Snapdragon C at approximately half the cost of Apple’s entry-level MacBook lineup, extending Qualcomm’s Windows on Arm push from premium machines into a mass-market category where affordability and battery life matter most. Qualcomm said it will reveal additional technical details during its Computex keynote.tomshardware