Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon C Platform for Budget AI Laptops

Ahead of Computex 2026, Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon C Platform, a new entry-level processor designed for affordable Windows laptops priced at around $300 and above. The company says the platform is aimed at students, families, and small businesses looking for modern computing features at lower price points.

The Snapdragon C Platform supports everyday computing tasks such as web browsing, video streaming, video calls, and productivity workloads. Qualcomm says the chip is designed to deliver responsive performance alongside all-day battery life and fanless or low-noise laptop designs.

The announcement expands Qualcomm’s Snapdragon PC portfolio further into the budget laptop category, following its recent push into premium and mid-range AI PCs through the Snapdragon X series.

Integrated AI Features Included

Despite targeting the lower end of the laptop market, the Snapdragon C Platform includes an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) for AI-based features.

Qualcomm says the chip supports on-device AI capabilities while maintaining power efficiency for everyday workloads. However, unlike higher-end Snapdragon X processors, the Snapdragon C does not use Qualcomm’s newer Oryon CPU cores and is not expected to support the full suite of Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC features.

The company is positioning the platform as a balance between affordability, portability, battery life, and modern AI-assisted computing experiences.

Qualcomm Expands Its Windows PC Push

Qualcomm has been steadily expanding its presence in the Windows laptop market over the past two years as manufacturers increasingly experiment with ARM-based PCs as alternatives to traditional Intel and AMD systems. The company previously launched Snapdragon X processors targeting premium AI laptops and Copilot+ PCs in the $600 and above segment.

With Snapdragon C, Qualcomm is now attempting to bring similar benefits including longer battery life, lower heat output, and integrated AI features to significantly cheaper devices.

According to Qualcomm, devices powered by the Snapdragon C Platform are expected to launch later this year. Acer, HP, and Lenovo are among the first manufacturers expected to introduce laptops based on the new processor.