At an event in Hawaii on Tuesday, Microsoft[1] announced the launch of the world's first 'Always Connected' PCs, running Windows 10 on ARM-based Qualcomm SoCs. Microsoft Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group Terry Myerson showed off the first-ever Always Connected PCs from Asus[2] and HP. These new laptops will offer built-in LTE connectivity and longer battery life than x86 PCs.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 SoC and ARM architecture, the Always Connected PCs are being regarded by Microsoft as the next big revolution in the tech industry after the original laptop and virtual reality. The [tie-up with Qualcomm] was announced back in December last year, is particularly interesting because Microsoft has earlier collaborated mostly with Intel and AMD to manufacture x86 chips for its partner products.
The first one in the new range, the Asus NovaGo, will be the world's first Gigabit LTE convertible laptop. Furthermore, the NovaGo also claims to offer a good 30-hour resting battery life and 22 hours of active usage with its 52Wh battery.
The second PC launched in the new range is the HP Envy x2, which is yet another convertible that offers a 20-hour active battery life along with state-of-the-art built-in 4G LTE connectivity. Both run Windows 10 S and sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem.
The Asus NovaGo is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile processor, coupled with 4GB or 8GB of RAM and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of Universal Flash Storage. The PC also has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and one HDMI port. The NovaGo runs on Microsoft Windows 10 S that brings new features like Windows Ink, Windows Hello, and Cortana. It weighs 1.39kg and measures 316 x 221.6 x...