Qualcomm leads AI-ready notebook market with Snapdragon X

The landscape of notebook technology is significantly evolving with the emergence of AI-capable chipsets and the new category of devices known as Copilot+ PCs. These innovations are expected to revitalise the PC market by offering unprecedented performance and capabilities, driven by artificial intelligence.

Recent data provided by CONTEXT, a global market intelligence company, indicates that AI-ready notebooks constituted 16% of notebook sales through European distribution during the week of June 10, 2024. This includes the launch of the first Copilot+ notebooks powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chipset, which features a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of delivering 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS).

"The new Qualcomm Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ notebooks have been off to a good start in European distribution," said Marie-Christine Pygott, senior analyst at CONTEXT. "We expect Copilot+ units and market share to grow further over the coming months, particularly as more products with 40+ TOPS capabilities are introduced. With all major chip vendors set to launch Copilot+-ready products, the availability of these notebooks will increase. This will bring more variety and drive prices down—an important factor in a market still facing strong economic headwinds."

Several key announcements have generated optimism within the industry, including Microsoft's Copilot+ PC announcement in late May and the global launch of notebooks featuring Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chipset on June 18.

The Copilot+ PC design aims to bring specific AI workloads and applications directly to the device by integrating high-performance NPUs. This integration not only improves device speed and battery life but also allows other components to focus on additional tasks, thereby enhancing overall system performance.

However, to be categorised as a Copilot+ PC, the device must possess an NPU chip with 40+ TOPS capability. Currently, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X is the only model on the market meeting this requirement. Intel and AMD have announced their versions, which are anticipated to be available later in the third and fourth quarters of 2024, respectively.

While the introduction of Copilot+ PCs and other AI-powered notebooks is expected to stimulate demand, CONTEXT advises that this transformation will not be immediate. The industry is still determining the ideal definition of an AI PC and exploring the best use cases and marketing strategies for these devices.

There is an ongoing debate about whether TOPS NPU is the optimal measure of AI performance, as total system performance relies on various components, including the GPU, software, and the specific AI applications being run. Despite these challenges, the sector shows considerable promise as it navigates the complexities of early-stage development.

Qualcomm remains the only chip vendor with a 40+ TOPS NPU chip currently in notebooks on the market. Consequently, all existing Copilot+ notebooks feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips. However, the market dynamics are beginning to shift. HP recently introduced a new notebook powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 300, the first non-ARM Copilot+ notebook offering up to 55 TOPS. This product is set to ship in the United States in August and is expected to be available in Europe in September.

"Looking ahead, we anticipate more OEMs to release non-ARM Copilot+ products in the autumn, with both AMD and Intel-based options expected to enter the market," added Marie-Christine Pygott. Qualcomm's share of AI-capable notebooks in distribution has remained stable at around 3% over the past few weeks, with the majority of these products being sold through consumer channels, including retail and consumer e-tail.