Are Always On PC's the Future for Laptops?

There's a revolution coming & It's the always on PC. This new generation of laptops bring a whole new class of user experience to people like you and me.

Qualcomm the company behind many of the flagship smartphones processing power are now providing the Snapdragon 835 chipsets for portable computers. In fact Qualcomm were the 1st company to launch 10nm System on Chip, as well as the announced gigabit LTE modem. Today this type of technology is NOW available in full Windows 10 PCs.

PC's like this one the HP Envy X2. Qualcomm also provide this new tech for other companies like Asus, Lenovo & Samsung in the future.

What advantages does a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Always on PC have? 

There are many so many of them. These pointers might help you for when your are looking on getting yourself a new laptop.

Lets start with the always on feature. Right now if you take your phone out of your pocket & login in face ID or pin and it's already connected right? Well thats because even when the phones screen is off... it's still communicating.

Well these Snapdragon powered computers are exactly the same. Instant on loading times and instant data connectivity thanks to the Qualcomms X16 LTE modem. If someone emails you or Skype calls you while your PC is on standby, it wakes up just like phone does & it does this without compromising the battery life.

The Qualcomm X16 Modem's Blistering Speeds

The X16 LTE modem can deliver up 1Gbps (Giga bits per second). Just to put that into perspective. The nearest competitor to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 can right now can only deliver up to 450Mbps...that's less than half the speed. 1 Gbit per second is around 3 to 7 faster than a regular public WiFi hotspot. So it means NO MORE giving out you email address and being bombarded with spam, just because you used a public hotspot. 

So before you buy an LTE Laptop, it would be a good idea to find out what processor is inside.

The Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 architecture is interesting. It actually incorporates the CPU, GPU for graphics, DSP for audio, ISP, and modem and many processors in a single chip. This means (OEM's) manufacturers can make portable computers much more compact at around 30% smaller. This means manufactures can utilise larger batteries and with the Snapdragon 835 there is no need for noisy fans.

HP Envy X2 Battery Life

Let's talk about battery power. The HP Envy X2 which I have had the pleasure to test, can play streaming video continuously for up 20hrs & 21hrs if the videos are locally stored. 20hrs continuous video playback, that's almost the flight time from London to Sydney Australia on a single charge. That is really impressive. 

This kind of battery life makes Always on PC's like the HP Envy X2 a great tool for work, for school, and even for content creators like me. Being constantly connected allows you to be productive on the go wherever you are & whenever you want throughout an entire day.

Snapdragon 835 Laptop Gaming Performance

The Qualcomm Adreno 540 DX12 enable visual processor is present in the HP Envy X2. This GPU supports concurrent 4K internal & 4K external panels. So don't be surprised to see manufactures utilising 4K displays in the future with these devices. The future 5G launch will definitely help when it comes to streaming 4K on the go.

The Snapdragon 835's heat management has a massive advantage when it comes to gaming. You'll be happy to know your prolonged gaming sessions won't be throttled due to over heating. It is a fact that this is something that other processors will definitely do. So it's good point to bare in mind if your thinking about using your laptop mainly for multimedia. If you are shopping around for a Laptop for this type of use. Ask the question 'will the performance be throttled under a heavy workload?'

If you are a real power user or hardcore PC gamer, then the HP envy X2 probably isn't the right fit for you. This device is tailored for people who need a full windows pc for work, school or to use social media, check emails & watch films.

The Snapdragon 850 for PC is coming soon

So the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is already available for pc's, but whats next? Well the new Snapdragon 850 will have some considerable improvements. We should see an AI improvement of around 3X. Which means better face recognition as well as improvements to all the other AI aspects across the board.

The Snapdragon X50 will also house Qualcomms all new X20 modem, which can deliver up to 1.2Gbps. Just case you feel the need for more internet speed. 

Who are Always On PC's made for?

When you look at the market for 2 in 1 compact computers, there are 2 features that the majority of people really want. Longer battery life and 4G LTE connectivity & the HP Envy x2 has both. We're talking about around 2 times battery performance than some well known competitors, and around 2 times faster 4G LTE speeds than it's nearest competitor.

If you want a thin, light & powerful 2 in 1 pc, with a stylus for productivity, with full windows 10, with amazing battery life, with a full backlit keyboard & Bang & Olufson sound, With the power of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835...then the HP Envy X2 is perfect PC. If you have a look at the image above & you find your requirements are in the to section then look no further.

My Thoughts on the Always On PC with Qualcomms Snapdragon

With the specs being so good on the HP Envy X2, I personally feel it's just perfect for being able to edit and upload video content, and manage my social media accounts on go. This is largely thanks it having full Windows 10. Yes you can do basic editing on your phone or tablet but it's just not the same, Honestly this has proven to be a powerful tool for me, and it's definitely something I could used to using everyday. I now actually try and opt to use overground trains so that I can stay connected & be productive even when I'm travelling.

I wonder could this be the beginning of shift in how we use ultra portable pc's... I think so. I heard that 5G is just around the corner. I get the feeling more and more people are going to start opting for devices like this, with super fast always on portable connectivity. As apposed to being tethered to home broadband subscriptions and wifi hotspots.

There will always be people who require wired internet & physical phone lines. However I believe the will be a large amount of people who will no longer need them... Especially once 5G becomes available.

I don't know about you but I'm super excited for 5G and I heard will should see 5G devices at the end of 2018, and we should see 5G flagship smartphones in 2019. I wonder who will be the 1st phone company to test the waters.

HP ENVY X2 2 in 1 - OFFICIAL SITE

So the future is around the corner! The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, followed by the Qualcomm X50 5G modem with 1Gbps download speeds.

Qualcomm were kind enough to fly me out to the MWC 2018! It was an interesting trip. I learnt a lot about Qualcomm and what happens behind the scenes in smartphones. Check out this booth tour hosted by me @WhatGearReview

source https://www.whatgear.net/technology/hp-envy-xz-snapdragon