Samsung is no stranger to making Windows on ARM PCs, releasing devices for the most recent two generations of Qualcomm"s Snapdragon Compute Platforms. But while Windows on ARM is referred to by some as Windows on Snapdragon, that phrase might not be accurate soon, as Samsung might just be working on a laptop that uses its own processor.
The report comes out of ZDNet Korea (via SamMobile), and it claims that Samsung is going to release an Exynos-powered laptop this year. It"s going to come with an Exynos 2200 chipset, and even more interestingly, an AMD GPU.
Samsung and AMD have both confirmed that they were working together on a new chipset. The going assumption and rumor was that that chipset was going to be for an upcoming version of the Galaxy Z Fold. As it turns out, the two firms have completely different ambitions in mind.
As it stands right now, the only officially supported ARM processors for Windows 10 are made by Qualcomm. The only other chip vendor that"s making ARM processors for PCs, obviously, is Apple, which is transitioning its Mac lineup to its custom SoCs. Indeed, compared to just a few years ago, there"s a ton of competition for Intel, which is the market incumbent. AMD"s Ryzen processors are better than ever, and this is the first time in years that a new architecture is supported by Windows. It would seem that Samsung is set to become another competitor for Intel.
The new Exynos-powered PC is set to arrive this year, and according to the report, it should show up in the third quarter. It"s unclear, however, if Samsung is going to push the same value proposition as other ARM chip-makers. Apple is boasting performance and battery life, while Qualcomm champions its integrated cellular connectivity and fanless designs. With an AMD GPU, it"s possible that Samsung could go for power.