MediaTek Prepares Arm Chips for Windows Laptops

Morrissey Technology – MediaTek is said to be developing an Arm chip for Windows-based laptops, which appears to be prepared to compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chip. According to Reuters, this information came from a source familiar with this matter, but who was not named.

The Windows operating system referred to here is the Copilot+ PC device which was just showcased by Microsoft in May 2024. This is a laptop equipped with a chip with advanced AI processing capabilities, and Microsoft claims will be the laptop for the future. Both Microsoft and MediaTek declined to comment on MediaTek’s new chip.

However, according to sources, the MediaTek chip will only be launched in 2025, namely after Qualcomm’s exclusive agreement to supply the laptop chip ends. The chips will use Arm’s “off-the-shelf” designs to make them easier to manufacture.

In fact, MediaTek also has a Kompanio chip for Chromebooks. This chip could be used as a basis for designing the Windows chip. It is not yet known whether Microsoft has given the green light for this chip from MediaTek for Copilot+ PC.

For information, in 2016 Microsoft collaborated with Qualcomm FOR4D to work together on a Windows operating system but running on Arm architecture, which is usually used in cellphones and tablets – which have a smaller battery capacity than laptops.

From there, Microsoft then gave exclusive rights to Qualcomm to make chips for Arm-based Windows until 2024. The agreement will end this year, and that’s why other companies have started making Arm chips that are compatible with Arm versions of Windows.

Apart from MediaTek, there are also Nvidia and AMD which are working on Arm chips for Windows laptops. Interestingly, Nvidia worked on this chip with the help of MediaTek. However, this latest MediaTek chip is reportedly separate from their collaboration with Nvidia.