Qualcomm has made a notable decision to discontinue the Snapdragon X Elite Developer Kit, priced at 9, which has left many in the developer community pondering the implications. Customers who purchased the kit since its launch are being refunded, although it remains uncertain whether those who have already received their devices will also benefit from this refund policy.
Quality Concerns and Market Dynamics
In a communication to developer Jeff Geerling, Qualcomm expressed that the Developer Kit did not align with their usual standards of excellence. The company stated, “…the Developer Kit product comprehensively has not met our usual standards of excellence and so we are reaching out to let you know that unfortunately we have made the decision to pause this product and the support of it, indefinitely.” This admission highlights the challenges faced in delivering a product that meets market expectations.
As customers began to receive their devices, retail laptops featuring Snapdragon chips had already been available for some time, which somewhat undermined the kit’s intended purpose of facilitating app development for Windows on Arm. Currently, Snapdragon chips are primarily found in laptops and a select few tablets, but Qualcomm has indicated plans to expand their presence across all PC form factors, including desktops.
Despite the discontinuation of the Developer Kit, there remains a glimmer of hope for enthusiasts of desktop Windows 11 on Arm devices. The possibility of a Snapdragon X mini-PC emerging from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) could still materialize. Additionally, reports have surfaced of X2 Elite chips undergoing testing at Qualcomm, suggesting that the company may leverage insights gained from the Developer Kit experience to create a robust mini-PC powered by these next-generation System on Chips (SoCs).
