Chipmaker MediaTek is seemingly joining Apple and Qualcomm in the race for the best ARM-based CPU. The brand aims to develop a solution dedicated to the Windows operating system offering better AI capabilities. This means the company will go head-to-head against Qualcomm and its Snapdragon X processors, bringing competition to this new segment.
It seems that the days of x86 are counted if ARM-based solutions continue improving at this pace. After decades of Intel and AMD duopoly, the laptop market is slated for some huge changes. For its debut, the Taiwanese brand is opting for a safer approach using pre-designed components from Arm. While not as fancy as Apple’s in-house solutions, this way MediaTek should have less difficulty getting ready for its first launch.
Aside from the AI buzzwords thrown willy-nilly these days, an ARM-based CPU has many advantages over our beloved x86 chips. For starters, ARM processors tend to have much better performance per watt, with Qualcomm claiming more than 20 hours of use on the latest Copilot+ PCs. Due to their smartphone pedigree, these chips also tend to deliver better webcam quality thanks to their advanced image processing. And lastly, you can get native support for cellular networks, allowing you to stay connected everywhere you go.
Since Microsoft has signed an exclusivity deal with Qualcomm for its Snapdragon X processors, MediaTek is expected to release its chips in late 2025. However, nothing is stopping it from finding another partner. While Microsoft laptops are popular, they are far from having the monopoly of the laptop market. That said, working directly with the developer of Windows brings its advantages, especially in an emergent segment like ARM laptops.
We can’t wait to see if ARM chips can deliver on their promises. As long as the performance and battery life are on par with x86 CPUs, users will begin considering them. As competition increases, users will have more options to choose from, and prices should be much more affordable.
