What you need to know
- Qualcomm has confirmed that the first Snapdragon X Elite PCs will launch alongside the next version of Windows in mid-2024.
- These PCs will be the first to ship with the upcoming Germanium platform release of Windows.
- Microsoft isn't expected to begin rolling out the next version of Windows until September/October for existing Windows 11 PCs.
- It's still unclear if the next version of Windows is another Windows 11 feature update, or an all-new Windows 12.
Qualcomm has today confirmed that the first wave of PCs powered by its Snapdragon X Elite chip will launch alongside the next version of Windows this summer. In an earnings call spotted by PC Mag, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon mentioned the plan while asserting these devices are on-schedule to ship starting mid-2024.
"We're tracking to the launch of products with this chipset tied with the next version of Microsoft Windows that has a lot of the Windows AI capabilities. We're still maintaining the same date, which is driven by Windows, which is mid-2024."
This lines up with my previous reporting that the first Windows vNext devices would begin shipping in June, including Microsoft's own next-gen Surface PCs powered by Arm. Qualcomm's CEO has also handily confirmed that the next Windows OS update will be focused on new AI capabilities, something we've known for a while.
What's still unknown is what name this next Windows version will take. I believe Microsoft will continue with the Windows 11 branding, perhaps with an AI tagline, but others think Microsoft will call it Windows 12. I've made several arguments for why I don't think that's the case, but never say never.
My sources say Microsoft is planning to roll out the next Windows OS update in two waves, with the first wave consisting of the Windows Germanium platform release shipping on new Snapdragon X Elite hardware. This update won't be made available as an OTA for existing PCs, as that's not scheduled to take place until September or October once the Hudson Valley update is finalized.
While the June launch window will include some next-gen capabilities, most of the end-user facing features won't appear until the Hudson Valley update is ready, which will ship as an OTA on top of the Germanium platform release in September or October.
