Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 for entry-level PCs

Today, Qualcomm is introducing its Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform. It’s the next SoC that’s designed for entry-level Windows 10 laptops and Chromebooks. The first generation of the product saw some moderate success, bringing cellular connectivity to sub-$300 Windows 10 laptops in the educational space. It was also the chipset that allowed Qualcomm to bust into the Chromebook scene.

Just like we saw from last year’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is a minor refresh. In fact, it’s the same 150MHz clock speed boost.

Qualcomm is boasting features that it’s comparing to x86 systems that cost more than twice as much. Compared to a $349 Snapdragon 7c machine, the San Diego firm is touting things like sustained performance while using the battery, resuming from sleep in less than a second, over nine hours of battery life. fast charging, HD webcams, and a chassis that’s less than 15mm. A lot of this doesn’t exist at that sub-$400 space when it comes to Intel-powered PCs.

“Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 brings the leading innovations of our compute portfolio to the next generation of entry-tier and affordable devices. Laptops powered by this platform will redefine mobile computing for education users, first line workers, and everyday light consumers, enabling
reliable and powerful devices that feature advanced AI, and support for multi-day battery life,” said Miguel Nunes, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are excited to bring this next generation upgrade to our entry level platform, for the very best mobile PC experiences.”

These inexpensive devices also come with 4G LTE connectivity. That’s something that can be key for the educational space. These devices can make a real difference in areas where high-speed Wi-Fi isn’t as common. In fact, it could just be useful for a school that has a congested network.

Qualcomm is promising enterprise-grade security, something it promises for all of its modern chips. The Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 supports Microsoft Secured-Core PCs, and Hyper-V is coming later this year for Windows on ARM. Of course, the integrated cellular connectivity is a security feature as well. Alongside Hyper-V, we’re also going to get support for x64 app emulation.

The Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 comes with an eight-core Kryo 468 CPU that’s up to 2.55GHz, an Adreno GPU with support for QHD 60Hz screens, a Spectra 255 ISP with 14-bit image signal processing, and Qualcomm’s fifth-generation AI Engine with the Hexagon 692 DSP. Aside from the clock speed, this should all sound like the original Snapdragon 7c.

You should see devices with the new chipset this summer, including a Snapdragon Developer Kit.

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