The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 will be Qualcomm’s first attempt to bring custom Oryon cores in an effort to challenge Apple’s supremacy of ARM-powered notebooks. However, while the company’s previous-generation SoCs are available to use, they do not present the same competition, and giving exclusivity to just one partner will not be sufficient to enter the market with a statement. This may be one reason why one tipster states that Microsoft will not have exclusivity over the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 could bring a massive performance boost to cheaper Chromebooks, but that also depends on Qualcomm’s pricing

Microsoft has yet to use the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 in its Surface range, hinting that the company could be waiting for the more capable Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 to use in future products. According to Revegnus on Twitter, with the exclusivity perk gone, other companies will have the liberty to use the SoC in their products, such as Chromebooks. Earlier, we reported that the upcoming chipset could also be found in 10-inch tablets, likely due to its improved efficiency.

It is worth noting that the only Surface device Microsoft is currently selling with a 10.5-inch display is the Surface Go 3, and that, too, is powered by a low-end dual-core Intel CPU. At the most, we expect the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 to be found in the more premium models, and that can mean raising the price of future Chromebooks. Even in a previous specifications leak, we learned that the SoC featured a 12-core CPUand was capable of running in thin-and-light notebooks, but no specific model was mentioned.

The good news is that the exclusivity of Microsoft's Qualcomm 8cx series has ended. Moving forward, we will be able to encounter the 8cx series in a greater variety of form factors. For instance, there are plans to incorporate the 8cx Gen4 into Chromebooks as well. https://t.co/07bWTutbqf

— Revegnus (@Tech_Reve) June 17, 2023

However, this can mean that the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 can potentially be found in any vendor’s Windows 11 notebook, that is, if they are willing to take a gamble. Given that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s price is higher than Apple’s A16 Bionic, Qualcomm may charge its partners a solid premium to push the ARM Windows notebook to new heights. Also, the lack of competition means San Diego will have a free hand in possibly overcharging, but so far, we have not heard how much it will potentially cost.

Still, to penetrate this market effectively, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4’s price needs to be competitive; otherwise, consumers can easily be swayed to pick a MacBook Air instead. We are not expected to see the flagship silicon from Qualcomm until 2024, so let us keep our fingers crossed and hope for more competition in this space.

News Source: Revegnus