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If there was any question as to whether the PC AI phenomenon is real, this year’s CEO Keynote series here at Computex has put that issue to rest. Copilot+ PCs weren’t just a staple in every device presentation, but all the hype and discussion around it highlighted the fact that the entire computing industry — from component suppliers and original device manufacturers (ODMs) to software developers and PC brands — has never been so excited about its future prospects in a world such as… Very long.
Nowhere has this trend been more evident than at Qualcomm (Nasdaq: Qcom) Presentation by CEO Cristiano Amon – is the 4th presentation on our main keyword list here in Taipei. As the sole chip supplier for the first round of Copilot+ compatible devices, Amon was keen to share the company’s enthusiasm for the category and why Graduation called on the company to become a real player in the computing semiconductor business.
Of course, long-time PC industry observers know that this is actually the company’s third attempt to bring an Arm-based processor to the PC market, but it’s now clear that this effort is very different from previous ones. Not only has the company lined up a larger and more impressive lineup of partners and system designs — many of which were showcased on stage during the keynote — but the levels of performance and software support are far better than they’ve ever been.
In fact, looking back historically, it’s now clear that Microsoft (MSFT) made the decision to not only support the new Snapdragon X series more aggressively than previous generations but also prioritize it over x86-based alternatives from AMD (AMD) and Intel ( you are K). (The fact that although AMD’s Copilot+ compatible SOCs will be available in systems as early as July, they will only be considered Copilot+ – “off the shelf” and needing a software update that is still months away – was also discussed in Part 2 of this Computex Chronicles series – makes this point perfectly clear.) While this decision has undoubtedly caused consternation among industry players – especially given the size of the x86-based PC market and still is versus Arm-based alternatives – it A very strong statement of how important Microsoft views Qualcomm’s efforts with the Snapdragon X series.
Given all that, it’s clear that Qualcomm’s Amon wanted to emphasize the capabilities offered by Copilot+ PCs as a category. To that end, he provides a number of current and future examples of what the devices can do. Sure, many of the digital agent-based demos have been interesting — where an agent performs actions on someone’s behalf without even being here — but for now, they’re more science fiction than science fact. However, it was good to see Qualcomm pushing the boundaries and making people think about what might be possible with these devices.
One of the challenges Qualcomm faced with this keynote is that all the news regarding the Copilot+ PC devices came out three weeks ago at Microsoft’s launch event. In fact, much of what Amon covered was a re-examination of key advertisements. However, in the context of the Computex environment and given all the other core ideas from semiconductor competitors, it still makes sense to reinforce key messages. It was also good to see and hear from many of the company’s PC partners about their specific product designs. Representatives from Acer (OTC:ACEYY), Asus (OTCPK:ASUUY), Dell (DELL), HP (HPQ), and Lenovo (OTCPK:LNVGY, OTCPK:LNVGF) all shared time on stage with Amon and also showed off the new system designs as some of their own software initiatives that Benefit from the 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second)-capable NPU in Snapdragon X Series SOCs. I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed that Qualcomm hasn’t mentioned the possibility of a 5G-enabled Copilot+ PC — and only one SKU of Microsoft’s new Surface Pro will offer it — because I think that in the world of hybrid AI, it could be As an important distinction.
The big question for Qualcomm going forward is how all of these partners will be able to juggle the many competing offerings they’ll end up creating and selling with new Copilot+-capable chips from AMD and Intel. In fact, most of the partners Qualcomm had on stage were also at AMD’s keynote earlier that morning and will likely be at Intel’s keynote at Computex. Competition for PCs and AI-powered chipset sockets among PC vendors has increased dramatically, and the impact of this competition is coming into clear focus here at Computex. While I have no doubt that Snapdragon X series PCs will be well received, seeing how the Windows PC market develops will be very interesting.
Of course, when Amon finished his keynote, he also reminded everyone that the competition isn’t just between Windows PC vendors and suppliers — it’s also with Apple (AAPL). To that end, he launched a clever new ad with former “I’m Mac” actor Justin Long, which showed him searching for a Snapdragon-powered computer — from a Mac. It was an entertaining way to highlight that the battle for the hearts and minds of personal computing extends beyond Windows and into the wider world.
Disclaimer: Some of the author’s clients are vendors in the technology industry.
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Editor’s note: The summary points for this article were selected by Seeking Alpha editors.
