The first 5G networks are here in several markets, including the US, Korea, and Europe, and buyers already have access to a bunch of exciting 5G smartphones, including the Galaxy S10 5G and OnePlus 5G. On top of that, 5G mobile hotspots are already available in stores. But there’s another type of 5G product that will soon launch, and that’s the ultraportable Windows 10 PC that comes with always-on 5G connectivity.
Qualcomm made the announcement at Computex, together with Lenovo. The two computing giants have partnered to make the world’s first 5G PC that will hit stores at some point next year.
Dubbed “Project Limitless” for the time being, the notebook is powered by Qualcomm’s newest Windows platform, the Snapdragon 8cx, which packs a 7nm processor as well as a 5G modem. The 8cx is the logical successor of previous Snapdragon platforms that were adapted for Windows 10 devices, starting with the Snapdragon 835 a couple of years ago.
We still don’t have all the details on this Lenovo Project Limitless product, but the device is expected to deliver multi-gigabit LTE and multi-day battery life in addition to 5G connectivity, with 4G speeds going all the way up to 2.5Gbps, at least theoretically.
A video of a 5G Windows 10 ARM laptop powered by the Snapdragon 8cx platform follows below, via xda-developers. We’re looking at sub-6GHz 5G speeds demoed in a controlled environment for the Computex trade show, but that’s what you’ll get once Project Limitless laptops hit stores, and once 5G coverage improves out in the wild.
That said, it’s unclear whether the laptop in the image below is going to be the world’s first Lenovo Windows 10 5G PC, or just a reference device made for the expo.
