Qualcomm, renowned for its chipset design prowess, has had a less stellar track record when it comes to naming its products. In late 2018, the company introduced the Snapdragon 8cx, a chipset specifically tailored for Windows on ARM devices. Subsequently, Qualcomm released other chipsets, with higher-performing models designated by the “cx” suffix and mid-range devices simply labeled with “c.” However, the company has recently revisited its branding strategy and decided to rebrand its products as the Snapdragon X Series.
This decision follows extensive analysis and feedback from consumers who found the previous “c” names confusing, as they closely resembled the names of Snapdragon chips designed for Android devices. Among the various advantages of this new branding, Qualcomm highlights that the “X identifier distinguishes our PC platforms from other Snapdragon product categories.”
What about Qualcomm’s modems, you might wonder? Interestingly, the modems also carry the Snapdragon X naming convention, such as the Snapdragon X75 and X72 introduced in February. Nevertheless, the company assures users of a “clear, simplified tiering structure to help them navigate our platform capabilities, ranging from mainstream to premium.” This clarity addresses a common complaint among users of PC processors, GPUs, and mobile chipsets.
This rebranding initiative is part of the preparation for the launch of the new Oryon-based chips and will signify a clear distinction between Snapdragons using ARM-designed CPU cores and Snapdragons equipped with Qualcomm’s in-house cores. It’s worth noting that this rebranding primarily applies to the Windows on ARM branch of the Snapdragon family, and it remains uncertain whether and when Oryon will make its way to smartphones.
The latest additions to the “c” family are the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and the 7c+ Gen 3, both unveiled in December 2021. While there have been rumors of a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4, it has now been confirmed that this won’t be its name—perhaps it will be called the “Snapdragon X8.”
The first devices powered by the Snapdragon X Series chips are expected to hit the market in 2024, featuring various tiers, with CPU configurations ranging from 4-core to 12-core setups.
