Qualcomm Snapdragon C Targets $300 Entry PCs

According to reports from Computex 2026 held in Taipei on May 28, just ahead of the exhibition’s official opening, Qualcomm introduced a new processor platform for entry-level laptops, the Snapdragon C. The platform is designed for notebooks priced from around $300 and above, marking Qualcomm’s expansion from premium devices into the mainstream Windows PC segment and completing its coverage of the entry-level PC market.

The “C” in Snapdragon C stands for “Compute” rather than “Cheap,” reflecting its positioning as a balanced computing solution rather than a low-cost performance chip. Instead of targeting peak performance, the platform focuses on addressing long-standing pain points in budget laptops, including system lag, heat generation, limited battery life, and noisy cooling systems.

Kedar Kondap, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, stated that rising costs and evolving customer expectations are reshaping the entry PC market. He noted that the Snapdragon C platform integrates affordable computing performance, all-day battery efficiency, AI capabilities, and responsive user experience into quiet and thermally efficient devices, aiming to deliver a more modern computing experience to a broader audience.

The target users for Snapdragon C include students, home users, and small businesses serving clients. Through this platform, Qualcomm aims to make stable, smooth, and intelligent PC experiences more accessible at a lower price point.

From a technical perspective, Snapdragon C differs significantly from the higher-end Snapdragon X series. While the Snapdragon X Series is based on Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU architecture, Snapdragon C uses Kryo CPU cores based on licensed Arm architecture, essentially derived from adapted smartphone-class silicon. Qualcomm has not disclosed the exact mobile SoC foundation, nor detailed specifications such as core counts or clock speeds.

However, industry leaks suggest the Snapdragon C, internally codenamed “Kenai,” may be built on a 6nm process, featuring an 8-core configuration in a 1+3+4 layout, an Adreno GPU running at around 900 MHz, support for 32-bit LPDDR5 memory, and a compact 14 mm × 12 mm package. These specifications have not been officially confirmed by Qualcomm.

Qualcomm has only officially stated that Snapdragon C supports smooth web browsing, video streaming, and productivity workloads, while integrating an NPU to enable AI features in entry-level laptops. The platform is designed for efficient daily computing with low power consumption and all-day battery life, while maintaining quiet thermal performance under typical workloads.

On the ecosystem side, Acer Inc. is expected to be the first OEM to launch laptops powered by the Snapdragon C platform. HP Inc. and Lenovo Group have also confirmed plans to introduce devices based on the new processor. Products featuring Snapdragon C are expected to reach the market later this year.