In 2024, the first wave of AI PCs, also known as Copilot+ PCs, entered the Indian market. Snapdragon led the way with its X-series chipsets, powering several new laptops featuring AI-driven features in Windows 11. However, despite the buzz surrounding AI and the new features, the impact on the consumer PC market in India was minimal. The growth in consumer PC shipments was just 2.6% year-on-year (YoY), according to market research firm IDC.

Why AI PCs Struggled to Take Off in India

The primary reason for this slow uptake lies in the price sensitivity of the Indian market. In 2024, the only available Snapdragon X-series chipsets—the X Elite and X Plus—were priced for the premium segment. This meant the AI-powered laptops were out of reach for the average consumer, primarily catering to enterprise users. With generative AI still in its early stages in the PC market, many Indian buyers were unable to experience the benefits of Copilot+ PCs.

To address this, Qualcomm introduced more affordable eight-core variants of the Snapdragon X Plus chipset. These new variants aim to lower the price of AI-enabled laptops, making them more accessible to a wider audience. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year, Qualcomm unveiled a new Snapdragon X chipset specifically for devices in the $600 (roughly Rs. 52,000) price range. Shortly after, Asus launched two laptops—the Zenbook A14 and Vivobook 16—powered by this chipset.

Snapdragon X Chipset: A Breakthrough in AI Performance

The Snapdragon X chipset comes with impressive AI performance, delivering 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second). For those unfamiliar with the term, TOPS is a metric used to gauge the computational power of AI hardware. The higher the TOPS, the more efficiently a device can handle AI tasks. This is especially crucial for developers and AI researchers, as it determines how well a device can train AI models.

The Snapdragon X chipset’s 45 TOPS are on par with the high-end X Elite chipset, ensuring that even budget devices powered by this chipset will offer robust AI performance. However, the performance will still depend on how well each OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) optimizes the device.

A Closer Look at the Snapdragon X Chipset

While the Snapdragon X offers strong AI capabilities, it falls behind the premium X-series chips in terms of CPU power. Built on a 4nm process, the Snapdragon X features eight Oryon CPU cores with a maximum clock speed of up to 3GHz. In contrast, the X Plus chipset offers up to 10 cores with a peak clock speed of 3.4GHz on efficiency cores, and up to 4.0GHz on performance cores. The X Elite takes things further with 12 cores and a peak clock speed of 4.3GHz for performance cores.

This means that the Snapdragon X chipset offers the lowest performance within the entire X-series lineup. However, Qualcomm claims that the platform is 163% faster at ISO-power than competitors, such as Intel’s Core Ultra 5 120U processor, which also has more cores and higher clock speeds.

Snapdragon X: A Strategic Move for Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s strategy in targeting the budget PC market with the Snapdragon X is clear. The company is keen to build brand awareness and establish itself as a major player in the AI PC space. Qualcomm worked closely with Microsoft to introduce Copilot+ PCs, and the first Surface devices with AI capabilities were powered by Snapdragon’s X-series chipsets.

In an exclusive interview with Gadgets 360, Qualcomm’s Senior Vice President, Kedar Kondap, highlighted the company’s efforts to make hundreds of apps compatible with Snapdragon PCs. Through its Qualcomm AI Hub, the company is also working with developers to make it easier to deploy AI models across devices.

Additionally, Qualcomm is investing in customer education and trust. While Snapdragon is still relatively new in the PC space compared to Intel and AMD, the company is making strides to engage directly with consumers. It has partnered with Flipkart Minutes to enable fast delivery of Snapdragon X-powered devices within 10 minutes in India.

Introducing the Snapdragon Experience Zone

Qualcomm’s push into the consumer space got a boost with the opening of its first Snapdragon Experience Zone in India. In partnership with Croma, this new retail space allows customers to interact with Snapdragon-powered devices, including smartphones, wearables, and PCs. The employees in the store are trained to demonstrate the capabilities of Snapdragon chipsets, including AI-powered features, offering buyers a hands-on experience.

This initiative appears to be more of a marketing move than a new revenue channel, but it could go a long way in building consumer trust in Snapdragon devices. As seen with smartphones, many buyers already consider Snapdragon when purchasing a device. Qualcomm likely hopes to replicate this success in the PC segment.

Power Efficiency and Battery Life on Snapdragon X

While the Snapdragon X chipset has impressive AI performance, one of its key selling points is power efficiency. Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon X-powered devices can last multiple days on a single charge. However, such claims are typically met with skepticism from users, as most laptops barely last a full day on a single charge.

That said, Qualcomm has a strong track record of power optimization. Snapdragon-powered devices, like the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q, HP OmniBook X, and Dell XPS 13, have consistently offered battery life of up to 14 hours or more with moderate usage. This could mean that the Snapdragon X chipset, with its energy-efficient design and lower-power LCD screens, could deliver even better battery life on budget devices.

Conclusion: A New Era for Budget AI PCs in India

The introduction of the Snapdragon X chipset signals a significant step forward for AI-powered PCs in India, especially in the budget segment. With a starting price of Rs. 65,990 for the Vivobook 16 and Rs. 99,990 for the Zenbook A14, these devices offer a more accessible entry point into the world of AI computing. While the performance of these devices may not match their premium counterparts, they still provide robust AI capabilities, making them an attractive option for consumers looking to experience AI on a budget.

As Snapdragon continues to invest in optimizing its chipsets and building consumer trust, we may see a broader adoption of Copilot+ PCs in India, transforming the way people interact with technology.