Microsoft and Qualcomm jointly held a launch event in Hawaii on Tuesday to announce their Always Connected PCs. Terry Myerson, Microsoft Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group revealed the first look of the Always Connected PCs from HP and Asus. The laptops run on Windows 10 on ARM-based Qualcomm SoC.
The news about the collaboration with Qualcomm isn’t new since it was talked upon in December last year. The Always Connected PCs are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC based on the ARM architecture.
The first one in the lot is the Asus NovaGo which will be the world’s first Gigabit LTE convertible laptop. The NovaGo claims that it offers a good 30 days of resting battery life and 22 hours of active usage with its 52Wh battery.
The Asus NovaGo is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor which is bundled with 4GB/8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of flash storage. It also has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports and also an HDMI port. It runs on Windows 10 S which features Windows Ink, Windows Hello, Cortana and other apps from the Microsoft Store.
The second laptop which was launched in the event is the HP Envy x2. It is yet another convertible laptop that offers more than 20 hours active battery life. It runs on Windows 10 S and packs in the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem.
The Envy x2 is also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset which is coupled with 8GB RAM and support for up to 256GB storage. The Envy x2 us 6.9mm thich and it weighs around 0.7Kg. It has a backlit keyboard which I’m sure everyone will love, it has a 1.3mm key travel for better and smooth typing experience even in low light conditions.
Terry Myerson described his experience while using the above two mentioned PCs :
Being always connected wherever I am whether in the car, coffee shop or the airport it just feels natural safe and secure in a way. He further adds, the screen is instantly on whenever I pick up the device and that he doesn’t need to wait for it to turn on and waste valuable minutes.
Lastly, he spoke about the battery life, he just had to say one word, awesome. He further adds I am finding myself charging it once a week. When I was using a wearable that needed to charge every day I didn’t quite rely on it. Not carrying around power cords is actually fun.
Asus has not yet revealed about the availability of the device although it has revealed the pricing — 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant will cost $499, while the 8GB RAM/256GB variant will cost $799. Whereas, HP has revealed the availability of the device but not the pricing. It will start shipping starting spring next year. More details will be shared by Microsoft in the coming weeks.
Reportedly, the third model of the Always Connected PC is also in works. Microsoft stated that Lenovo might be the partner company making this one. Thought the Always Connected PCs come pre-loaded with Windows 10 S, the users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro free of cost. We’ll keep you updated with more updates. What do you think about this series?
https://youtu.be/Rd7R9G1An3s
