Snapdragon X Plus Could Bring Faster, More Powerful Chromebooks

Developers are preparing ChromeOS updates to support Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Plus chips, potentially leading to more powerful Chromebooks, according to Chrome Unboxed. A recent commit in the Chromium Gerrit code review reveals that the SoCID for the Qualcomm X1P42100—also known as Snapdragon X Plus—has been added to the repository, signaling active development of Chromebooks using this processor.

Although the Snapdragon X Plus is not Qualcomm’s flagship “Elite” processor, it offers notable performance, delivering 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI capability through its neural processing unit (NPU). This advancement suggests that upcoming Chromebooks could see significant improvements in AI-driven tasks and overall efficiency.

Historically, Qualcomm’s Arm-based Chromebooks have struggled with performance. The 2021 Acer Chromebook Spin 513, powered by the Snapdragon 7c, was praised for its battery life but criticized for slow performance. While the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 offered slight improvements, it was not enough to close the performance gap.

Additionally, Qualcomm did not release the 7c Gen 3 for Chromebooks, which left manufacturers relying primarily on MediaTek and Intel processors. Intel chips, while powerful, have often been associated with less-than-ideal battery performance in Chromebooks.

The integration of Snapdragon X Plus chips could address these long-standing limitations, providing a balance of power efficiency and processing strength. This move could position Arm-powered Chromebooks as stronger competitors in a market where battery life and speed are increasingly important to users.

Filed in Computers >Rumors. Read more about Chromebook and Qualcomm.