Microsoft To Launch ARM64 App SDK For Snapdragon 835 Laptops At BUILD Conference

There are some slick laptops out there that run the Snapdragon 835 Platform with Windows 10; machines such as the HP Envy x2 pictured below. The big issue for many users with those Windows on Snapdragon devices, however, is that the platform is unable to run 64-bit apps. Microsoft has shed some light on the timeframe to fix that glaring omission and will announce the SDK for ARM64 apps at the BUILD developers conference. 

When the new SDK launches, devs can recompile their apps to run in 64-bit on ARM-based PCs. 32-bit performance has been found to be generally acceptable with current Snapdragon 835-powered systems, but it remains to be seen how they will fare with 64-bit apps. These machines typically run Windows 10 S, but free upgrades to Windows 10 Pro are offered through 2019. 

The ARM 64 SDK will reportedly be offered for Store apps and their desktop counterparts. It is still relatively early in the game, but so far Windows on ARM machines haven't exactly burned up the sales charts. Part of the challenge in getting machines such as this adopted by end-users is that they are expensive compared to some full notebooks.

The HP Envy x2 2-in-1 Snapdragon-powered notebook went up for preorder back in late February 2018. It starts at $999, which is quite expensive for a device that lacks full Windows app compatibility. Microsoft and Qualcomm are hoping that broader app availability is the push these machines need to go mainstream