Earlier this month, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 850 chipset, designed for use in Windows-on-ARM devices. While the Snapdragon 850 is only a slightly more powerful version of the Snapdragon 845 chip powering most 2018 Android flagships, Qualcomm is reportedly working on a significantly more powerful Snapdragon 1000 chipset with a TDP rating of 12W. For reference, the Snapdragon 850 has a TDP rating of only 6.5W. Thanks to the higher TDP rating, we can expect the Snapdragon 1000 to offer significantly improved benchmark performance compared to the first Always-on Connected PCs that were unveiled a few months back.
Snapdragon 1000 to Take on Intel’s Core-U Series Processors?
The Snapdragon 1000, depending on the kind of performance it can offer, will take on Intel’s Core-U series processors that have a TDP rating of 15W. While the first Always-on Connected PCs powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset are mainly entry-level products, we can expect the Snapdragon 1000-powered devices to be marketed as more premium devices. According to the WinFuture.de report, ASUS is currently working on a device powered by the Snapdragon 1000, codenamed ‘Primus’. While no detailed specifications are available yet, the report suggests the ‘Primus’ will have a 2K resolution display and offer support for the latest WiGig standard. It is highly likely that other major PC manufacturers are also currently testing Snapdragon 1000-powered devices.
Snapdragon 1000 to Debut in Late 2018
The report claims the first Snapdragon 1000-powered devices will be hitting the market in late 2018. While the higher TDP does more or less confirm a major performance boost, it remains to be seen if the Snapdragon 1000 chipset will allow devices to deliver the same “all-day battery life” as the first Always-on Connected PCs powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset. Some are speculating that the chip might be manufactured on TSMC’s 7nm node, which would allow it to deliver impressive power efficiency along with high performance.
