What you need to know
Qualcomm’s journey with the Snapdragon X Elite developer kit has taken an unexpected turn, marked by a series of challenges that culminated in the recent cancellation of the product. Initially unveiled at Microsoft’s Build 2024 conference, this developer kit was anticipated to be a game-changer for developers, priced at 0 and set to ship in June. However, the reality proved to be quite different.
- After a prolonged wait, the first small batch of units finally shipped to developers just days ago, but the excitement was short-lived.
- In a surprising move, Qualcomm announced via email that it would be canceling the developer kit altogether, offering refunds to all purchasers, including those fortunate enough to have received a unit.
The timeline of events reveals a troubling narrative for Qualcomm. Following the initial announcement, pre-orders opened a month later on Arrow, with shipping estimates that quickly fell by the wayside. Developers who placed orders found themselves in a frustrating limbo, lacking clear communication regarding shipping timelines from both Qualcomm and Arrow.
As the summer unfolded, Qualcomm encountered significant manufacturing hurdles. The developer kit was originally slated to include an HDMI port, a feature that was ultimately scrapped at the last minute. Compounding these issues, it appears the hardware failed to meet FCC regulations prior to shipping, leading to warnings on the few units that did reach customers, indicating they could not be resold and were not FCC certified.
This series of missteps has raised questions about Qualcomm’s foray into PC hardware, a realm that, despite their expertise in chip manufacturing, has proven to be more complex than anticipated. With the Snapdragon X Elite developer kit now off the table, the onus falls on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to step in and provide alternatives, likely in the form of mini PCs powered by Snapdragon X SoCs. There is speculation that Microsoft may refresh its Windows Developer Kit 2023, which initially launched in 2022 with the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3.
The cancellation also means that the high-end X Elite SoC (the X1E-00-1DE), boasting a boost frequency of 4.3GHz, will no longer be available through the developer kit, making it a coveted piece of technology for those in the know.
