At an event in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm took the wraps off the first Windows 10 ARM laptops.
The devices in question are none other than Asus NovaGo and the HP Envy x2, both housing a Snapdragon 835 under the hood.
Asus NovaGo
First off, the NovaGo is a 13.3-inch 2-in-1 convertible, meaning its display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution can't be detached from the keyboard base. Instead, it rotates 360 degrees to go into tablet mode.
It'll come with up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS storage to work together with the Snapdragon 835, boasting 22 hours of battery life and 30 days on standby. It'll also sport full-size USB Type-A ports plus an HDMI one.
The NovaGo is going to have an embedded eSIM for LTE connectivity, and with the Snapdragon X16 integrated with the processor, it should be capable of delivering stable and reliable LTE speeds. Needless to say, it can connect to Wi-Fi networks with no problems whatsoever.
While there's no solid release date just yet, Asus does offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 10 S until Sept. 30, 2018, which means the 2-in-1 should be widely available way before then.
The price isn't set in stone either, but it's expected to range from $600 to $800.
HP Envy x2
Unlike the NovaGo, the Envy x2 is a detachable 2-in-1. That, coupled with the device's keyboard design, makes it reminiscent of the Microsoft Surface Pro.
Now the screen measures at 12.3 inches and pushes out a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Configurations also go up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS storage.
It's touted to last up to 20 hours on a single charge, and in standby mode, it's shy of 30 days — about 700 hours, to be more accurate. Also, to really make it a productivity machine, it's packaged with a stylus to boot.
In terms of connectivity, the Envy x2 has a SIM slot for LTE and USB Type-C ports, making it future proof. Out of the box, it'll run on Windows 10 S, with a "one-time option" to switch to Windows 10 Pro, but the details on that haven't been completely disclosed yet.
There's also no word on its final release date, and it's said to be between $600 and $800 too.
Windows 10 ARM Laptops Advantages
Qualcomm says that Windows 10 ARM laptops have the edge on the usual machines among the current brood because they can stay connected to LTE all the time, last up to 25 hours or more with typical usage, and keep temperatures low and avoid throttling performance.
In some ways, it's sort of a smartphone packaged in the form of a laptop that can run a full OS such as Windows 10, but of course, that may be oversimplifying things.
The Bottom Line
The first Windows 10 ARM laptops are about to hit the shelves, and they're promising to keep the lights on for more than 20 hours on a single charge and provide LTE connection at all times.
More are making their way too, as Lenovo is expected to unveil its Snapdragon-powered laptop in January at the upcoming CES 2018 event in Las Vegas. It's part of the manufacturers that partnered up with Qualcomm on this front, after all, which Intel isn't happy about.
