At an event in Hawaii, Microsoft showed new laptops from ASUS and HP powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chips that use ARM architecture. These PCs comes with LTE modem and can connect to the internet through it or WiFi.
Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and devices group, told CNBC that he uses his Asus NovaGo “always connected” convertible laptop for a week at a time on a single charge. That’s very unusual at a time when most laptop and tablet batteries won’t last longer than a day.
“In my day at the office, I walk around with one of these PCs and a phone,” Myerson said, adding that he doesn’t bring the laptop’s charging cable along with him. He said that it’s similar to his Fitbit twearable device, which he charges every four or five days.
If these devices were to go on sale, it will pose a serious challenge to ultralight notebooks currently powered by Intel and AMD. This is especially the case for Intel as 50% of Intel’s revenue comes from its client computing group, which includes PC and tablet chips.
For a notebook, battery consumption is very important. If it can be powered without recharges every other day, it is already a winner!