While Apple has been expanding its M1 family of chipsets for its Mac computers, it seems like Qualcomm has been struggling to catch up with the Cupertino giant. Last year, Qualcomm announced it will release its very own ARM-based CPU to compete with Apple’s M1 chips. Now, the company has delayed the release of the upcoming laptop CPU(s). Check out the details below.
Qualcomm Delays its Apple M1 Competitor CPU Launch
When Qualcomm announced its ARM-based CPU for Windows-powered computers last year, the company promised to deliver the first samples of the chip to device manufacturers by August 2022. The first Windows PCs with the upcoming Qualcomm processor were slated to release in early 2023.
Furthermore, for those unaware, Qualcomm also acquired a chip-making startup, comprised of ex-Apple designers, named Nuvia for $1.4 million last year. It delegated the responsibility of developing the M1-competitor to the company, promising that the upcoming CPU will “set the performance benchmark for Windows PCs.”
However, during a recent earnings call, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon said that the development of the chipset is taking time as the Nuvia team progresses toward its goal of developing a processor that will be a significant leap for the industry. He further added that the first Nuvia-designed CPU will go “after the performance tier”, and the first devices backed by the processor will release in 2023.
So, it seems like Qualcomm has failed to deliver on its promise of providing the first samples of the CPU to manufacturers by August 2022. That timeframe has been expanded to the later half of 2022, with commercial Nuvia CPU-powered devices expected to release in “late” 2023.
By that time, Apple is expected to release its M2 family of computer processors in the market with performance and power improvements. And by the time the commercial devices with the Qualcomm laptop CPUs come out, Apple might even introduce the third-gen M-branded processors for its Mac devices. So, do you think Qualcomm can catch up with Apple in this CPU race? Do let us know your opinions on this topic in the comments below.
