Windows 10 PCs Running on Snapdragon ARM Chips in Final Stages of Testing: Report

Windows devices running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon ARM-based processors are inching closer to a retail store near you. Microsoft this week said that it was in the latter stages of testing such mobile PCs.

In an interview with ZDNet, Pete Bernard, group program manager for Windows expressed his excitement about the Windows on ARM project, adding that the company is testing "hundreds" of these mobile PCs in its offices on a daily basis. "The PC space and the phone space have been sort of in parallel universes for a couple of decades... what two better companies to bring those worlds together than Microsoft and Qualcomm?" he said.

A Qualcomm executive said this was one of the most exciting projects the chipmaker has been working on. At present, the companies are also testing these devices with mobile operators. "We have been engaged with a lot of mobile operators... talking about not only strategically where does this fit into the portfolio and opportunities it brings them, but tactically how do we get these things into the market and into people's hands," he said.

These mobile PCs will feature an embedded SIM to enable simple activation of the device. The device will have an "always-on" connectivity as well. As an individual customer, you would want be excited about these mobile PCs as well.

First, these devices are expected to hit the market as soon as December, according to TrustedReviews. Second, these devices will have an amazing battery life. Microsoft is promising multi-day battery life for instance.

Microsoft's Bernard said several executives at the company are using this mobile PCs already. He said, he was pleasantly surprised when some of these executives said there was something wrong with the battery meter, it wasn't draining fast enough. To which, Bernard recalls "It turned out not to be a bug; it just has a great battery life."

The Windows maker, which has called it quits on Windows Phone (or Windows 10 Mobile), first unveiled its intentions to unveil ARM-powered Windows laptops last year. The company also demonstrated Photoshop running on an ARM chip. Earlier this year, Qualcomm said it was working with Asus, Lenovo, and HP on building mobile PCs powered by Snapdragon 835 platforms including the new X16 LTE modem.