MediaTek chips for Windows on Arm are coming as Qualcomm exclusivity nears end
Competition is coming, but don't expect it anytime soon.
JoriPress
- MediaTek is designing chips to challenge Qualcomm’s dominance in the Windows on Arm ecosystem.
- However, Qualcomm has signed an exclusivity deal with Microsoft until the end of 2024.
- If not renewed by 2025, we may see alternative Windows on Arm chips from MediaTek, Nvidia, and AMD.
Windows on Arm has been around since 2017, but every device released so far has been powered exclusively by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Chipmakers like MediaTek, who otherwise have competitive Arm-based SoCs in the Android and Chromebook markets, have yet to be part of the Windows on Arm program. This disparity was especially evident when Microsoft and Qualcomm partnered with over half a dozen PC manufacturers to launch Windows on Arm devices at Computex 2024 earlier this month.
However, a new report suggests that Snapdragon chips won’t be the only choice for consumers soon. Specifically, Reuters reports that MediaTek is developing its own Arm-based PC chip with plans to launch it in late 2025. Microsoft’s exclusivity deal with Qualcomm is also said to end before then, allowing the OS maker to finally collaborate with other chipmakers. The publication’s three sources suggest that MediaTek’s chip is based on Arm’s ready-made designs, which could help speed up development.
