Windows on ARM Laptops Reportedly Hamstrung by Qualcomm, but That Might Soon Change

guest · Nov 23, 2021

Windows on ARM Laptops Reportedly Hamstrung by Qualcomm, but That Might Soon Change
Qualcomm deal may be the reason Windows on ARM laptops are nowhere near as good as Apple's M1 Macs.
November 22, 2021
https://gizmodo.com/windows-on-arm-laptops-reportedly-hamstrung-by-qualcomm-1848106461

Let your Mac-owning friends boast all they want about the blinding speeds of Apple’s new M-series chips, because who needs fast performance when you have freedom of choice? That’s one of the benefits of buying a PC—or at least, it’s supposed to be.

It turns out Microsoft might have been restricting the hardware powering certain Windows 11 laptops. According to XDA Developers, ARM-based Windows devices have only been powered by one brand of processor because of an exclusive deal between Microsoft and Qualcomm.
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Want Windows on ARM laptop without a Qualcomm chip? Sorry, it doesn’t exist. At least, not yet. Multiple people familiar with the deal told XDA that the agreement between these tech giants is “set to expire soon,” but a specific timeline was not given.

But that could change. Once the exclusivity expires, the gates will open for other chip makers to try their hand at a viable ARM PC chip, and that should excite those who recognize the benefits of the architecture, which offers lower power consumption and better wireless integration, among other perks.
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Even Mac owners should get excited about the possibility of an ARMs race. As MacRumors points out, the handshake between Microsoft and Qualcomm may have something to do with why you can’t use Windows 11 on new ARM-based Macs
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Windows on ARM Laptops Reportedly Hamstrung by Qualcomm, but That Might Soon Change

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