New Snapdragon X chips leak just as the first Copilot+ PCs arrive — should you wait?
Copilot+ PCs have finally hit the market, but before you buy one, there's something you should know.
Thanks to a recent screenshot from leaker Fahad (via VideoCardz.com), we know that Qualcomm might be releasing up to 10 unique chip variants in its Snapdragon X Series. This screenshot, shown below, reveals multiple unannounced Snapdragon X SKUs in Qualcomm Adreno GPU driver files.
Update: We just tested HP's first Copilot+ AI PC and it has amazing battery life.
Prior to seeing this screenshot, we were only aware of five unique Snapdragon X Series SKUs, four premium Snapdragon X Elite chip variants (denoted by the X1E identifier) and one budget-friendly Snapdragon X Plus (X1P) chip.
X1E-00-1DE
X1E-84-100
X1E-80-100
X1E-78-100
X1P-64-100
If this leak has merit, we can potentially expect 5 new SKUs. There could be one slightly less powerful Snapdragon X Elite chip (X1E-76-100) and four less powerful (and possibly cheaper) Snapdragon X Plus chips (X1P-62-100, X1P-56-100, X1P-40-100, and X1P-42-100).
With rumored chip variants on the horizon, is it worth waiting to buy your Copilot+ PC? Probably not — here's why.
Should you wait for new Snapdragon X variants to upgrade to a Copilot+ PC?
If you're after the performance power that Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon X Elite chips promise, there's no need to wait. The only rumored X Elite chip that could release in the future will be less powerful than the existing variants.
Many Copilot+ PCs you can buy right now come equipped with Qualcomm's mid-tier X1E-78-100 Snapdragon X Elite chip, but if you're looking for top-tier power, check out the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge with a X1E-80-100 or X1E-84-100 Snapdragon X Elite variant. Just be aware that Samsung's Copilot+ PC may not natively run a few popular programs immediately.
The Snapdragon X Elite-powered Copilot+ PCs available now are surprisingly affordable, but laptops equipped with Qualcomm's more affordable, less powerful Snapdragon X Plus should be even cheaper.
If you're looking to upgrade to a Copilot+ PC on a budget, it might be worth waiting to see if Qualcomm officially announces more Snapdragon X Plus variants later this year.
There's no estimated date Qualcomm may announce a few or all of these leaked variants, but back-to-school season in July and August seems like the perfect time to announce more budget-friendly Copilot+ PCs for students and teachers.
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