As if Windows laptops equipped with Snapdragon X Elite chips weren’t grabbing enough attention with their performance improvements, Qualcomm says they’re also getting a faster Chrome browser (via Engadget). If you have a Windows laptop equipped with a Snapdragon chip, you can download this speedy Chrome version now, but it’ll be more significant on Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X Elite chips.
This new Chrome variant shows “a dramatic performance improvement” in tests using Snapdragon X Elite devices—and luckily, you won’t have to wait that long to get your hands on one of these powerful new laptops. According to Qualcomm, laptops featuring Snapdragon X Elite chips should debut in mid-2024, kicking off the back-to-school season.
Snapdragon X Elite chips will make Chrome an even more obvious choice over Edge
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips are rumored to be insanely powerful, rivaling Apple’s M3 chip performance in the Geekbench 6 benchmark. We haven’t been able to test the Snapdragon X Elite chip just yet, but its rumored performance is exciting for Windows laptops.
According to Engadget, Qualcomm says the new chip will “far surpass” its Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 line in terms of speed, and that it delivers twice the performance of Intel‘s 13th Gen Core i7-1360P and i7-1355U chips while using an impressive 68% less power.
If these performance claims ring true, Windows laptops with a Snapdragon X Elite chip will quickly become the best competitor for Apple’s Silicon-powered MacBooks. And with a faster version of Chrome on these Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops, Microsoft’s Edge browser might see even less users than it does now.
Qualcomm’s President and CEO, Cristiano Amon, said “The new version of Google Chrome will help cement Snapdragon X Elite’s role as the premier platform for Windows PCs starting in mid-2024.” While this statement is clearly a subtle brag of Snapdragon X Elite chips potentially outpacing Intel’s new chips, he goes on to say “we can’t wait to see Chrome shine by taking advantage of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite system.”
We’re not sure yet who’d win in a battle between Apple’s M4 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, but one thing is clear: Google Chrome will be the obvious browser choice for Windows laptops with a Snapdragon chip.
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