Qualcomm at Computex announced the chip we heard so much about last week, the Snapdragon 850 that’s more powerful than the 845 version found in today’s flagship Android phones. The Snapdragon 850 will power a slew of always-on, LTE-enabled, multi-day battery life, Windows 10 computers.
Intel, meanwhile, said at the same event that 5G laptops are coming.
The first Snapdragon 850 devices are coming this year, from various device makers, including Asus, HP, and Lenovo. Here’s a promo video for the new chip:
Intel, meanwhile, said at Computex that it partnered with Sprint to sell 5G PCs in stores next year. Engadget reports that Intel did not offer any other details about its plans. What companies are making these 5G laptops? When will they hit stores? We have no idea, and Intel isn’t saying.
However, Intel is working with Acer, Asus, Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Lenovo on such devices. In other words, expect the same companies that are making LTE laptops with Qualcomm inside to launch 5G notebooks powered by Intel’s chips, 5G modem included.
For Intel, the announcement represents a significant win, as it reminds everyone that Intel is also developing its 5G technology. Sadly, you may have to wait a while to be able to take advantage of a 5G laptop’s… 5G speed. While we wait for 5G to happen, Snapdragon 850-powered laptops will actually ship to consumers in the coming months.
Intel’s 5G dreams are a lot bigger than notebooks, as the chipmaker is reportedly working with Apple on a 5G chip for the iPhone. Apple is involved in a famous patent battle with Qualcomm and is looking to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm modems for the iPhone.
