Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 to undercut Apple Silicon

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 7c Gen ii to undercut Apple Silicon

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

Apple tree may exist difficult at work on its M2 processor in advance of a reported summer release, but Qualcomm is continuing to build out its own line of silicon aimed at laptops. The latest effort, Qualcomm'south Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chipset, should discover it way into entry-level computers and Chromebooks.

Announced today (May 24), the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is a follow-upwards to the 7c entry-level processor Qualcomm rolled out at the end of 2019. That chip powers machines similar the Acer Chromebook Spin 513, a long-lasting machine that costs less than $400. You can expect Gen 2 of the Snapdragon 7c to observe its mode into like devices.

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Qualcomm says it expects laptops outfitted with the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 to start actualization the summer. Lenovo has already pledged to utilize the new bit in devices coming out later this year.

Snapdragon 7c Gen 2-powered laptops and Chromebooks will offer LTE connectivity via the born X15 4G modem. Qualcomm also makes laptop chips with 5G connectivity, but that'southward reserved for the higher-end Snapdragon 8c Gen two platform.

It'southward battery life where the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 should actually shine, with Qualcomm promising multiday bombardment life for laptops that use the processor — ii times the battery life of almost competing platforms, the bit maker figures. That translates to around 19 hours of continuous use.

In terms of performance, await for the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 to exist 10% faster than competing platforms, Qualcomm says. The fleck maker besides says its latest silicon is sixty% more power efficient than Intel'southward Celeron N4020 and Pentium Silver N5030.

The Spectra 255 ISP on the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 can support up to a 32MP single camera or 16MP dual cameras. The result should be articulate video conferencing aided by Qualcomm'due south Aqstic audio technology that delivers echo cancellation and racket suppression for articulate sound.

In improver, the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 features Qualcomm's fifth gen AI engine that performs five-plus trillion operations per second (TOPS). That can support more than accurate vox recognition, Qualcomm says, besides as accelerated security features.

Besides announcing the new chip, Qualcomm also unveiled a Snapdragon Developer Kit aimed at software makers to assist them examination and optimize Windows applications on Snapdragon-powered laptops. Qualcomm hopes the SDK, arriving this summer, will help more developers fine-tune their Windows ten apps for Snapdragon-based machines.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions well-nigh Apple tree, the Oakland Athletics and old movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.