Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip, targeting budget-friendly AI laptops.
The third-generation Oryon cores deliver a 35% increase in speed while consuming 43% less power, leading to improved battery longevity.
Qualcomm has made an unexpected announcement at CES 2026, bringing good news for those considering a laptop upgrade this year. After introducing the premium Snapdragon X2 Elite and its Extreme variant, the company has now unveiled the mid-tier Snapdragon X2 Plus chipset.
A new boost for Copilot+ laptops
The newest offering from Qualcomm utilizes the 3rd Gen Oryon CPU cores, which are claimed to be 35% faster and 43% more energy-efficient. In simple terms, this translates to enhanced power and better battery efficiency. Additionally, Qualcomm is boosting the AI capability to 80 TOPS, nearly twice that of the first-generation Snapdragon X processors.
Cores | Cache | Frequency | GPU | GPU Frequency | NPU | TOPS | Memory | Memory Transfer Rate
------------|-------|--------------|-------|------------------|--------|-------|----------------|------------------------
Snapdragon X2 Plus 10-core | 10 | 4.0GHz | X2-4 | 1.7GHz | 80 | LPDDR5x | 9523MT/s
Snapdragon X2 Plus 6-core | 6 | 4.0GHz | X2-4 | 0.9GHz | 80 | LPDDR5x | 9523MT/s
Qualcomm asserts that the NPU in its latest chipset can manage over 50 AI workflows locally on the device. The processor will be available in two configurations. The 10-core version features a more robust GPU with a clock speed of 1.7GHz, while the 6-core version is equipped with a slower graphics processor operating at 0.9GHz.
The enhanced variant includes six prime cores with a maximum speed of 4GHz, alongside four performance cores. The lower-end model only has six prime cores, achieving the same peak frequency as its more powerful counterpart. Built on a 3nm manufacturing process, the Snapdragon X2 Plus chipset supports 4K displays with refresh rates up to 144Hz and is capable of driving three 4K resolution panels simultaneously.
On the connectivity side, it offers optional 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth v5.4. The first wave of laptops using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus processor will be arriving in the upcoming months, branded under the Copilot+ label. These laptops are expected to be priced around $800 to compete with the MacBook Air and Apple's forthcoming budget laptop featuring a mobile-grade A-series processor.
Nadeem is a technology and science reporter at Digital Trends.
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