Qualcomm And Google Partner To Accelerate Chrome For Windows On Snapdragon
While Windows on ARM has made significant advances in recent years, it has been held back due to a lack of support. Even when there are ARM-native apps by developers that would make using such a device more consumer friendly, many fly under the radar due to a lack of them being promoted. Well, Qualcomm and Google are looking to change that, at least when it comes Google’s Chrome browser.
“We’ve designed Chrome browser to be fast, secure and easy to use across desktops and mobile devices, and we’re always looking for ways to bring this experience to more people,” remarked Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President, Google. “Our close collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies will help ensure that Chrome users get the best possible experience while browsing the Web on current ARM-compatible PCs.”
This is not the first time that Qualcomm and Google have partnered up. The two have been collaborating on Android devices since the very first device in 2008. While the longstanding partnership with Google on Android may be lucrative for both on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, it would seem to be limited on larger mobile devices, such as laptops running Windows.
This has led to more than a few voicing doubts over how effective ARM will be on upcoming Wi
ndows devices, with Intel’s Pat Gelsinger being one of them.
In a recent interview, Gelsinger commented, “Arm and Windows client alternatives, generally, they’ve been relegated to pretty insignificant roles in the PC business,” He added, “And we take all competition seriously. But I think, history as our guide here, we don’t see these potentially being all that significant overall. Our momentum is strong. We have a strong roadmap.”
Regardless of the doubters, Qualcomm is driven to prove them all wrong. The journey in doing so truly begins with the upcoming release of Windows laptops powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processors later this year.
“The new version of Google Chrome will help cement Snapdragon X Elite’s role as the premier platform for Windows PCs starting in mid-2024,” remarked Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm Inc. “The PC industry is on the cusp of an inflection point, and as we enter the era of the AI PC, we can’t wait to see Chrome shine by taking advantage of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite system.”
Qualcomm stated that during preliminary testing using Snapdragon X Elite reference devices, the new Chrome browser showed a “dramatic performance improvement,” via the Speedometer 2.1 benchmark. With Chrome being the preferred browser of many using Windows devices, this will certainly be in the back of consumer’s minds when they begin deciding which laptop to buy later this year.
Chrome for Windows on Snapdragon is available for download now for anyone currently using an existing Windows on Snapdragon device.
