TL;DR
Qualcomm is rumored to have added Android 16 support for its Snapdragon X PC chips.
While it sparks hopes about Android-based PCs, there’s not enough evidence or clarity yet.
One of the biggest roadblocks is the absence of proper software support, as Android still lacks a fully functional desktop mode.
Google’s Chrome OS has aged better than most PC users would have anticipated, but its long run is nearing its end. Google has already confirmed its plans to merge Chrome OS with Android, and the driver behind this shift is the need to manage engineering resources more effectively and compete with Apple. While this is expected to be a multi-year transition, we may see actual laptops — not flagship tablets capable of serving as laptop replacements — running Android soon.
Tech analyst known as @Jukanlosreve on X recently shared a rumor about Qualcomm testing Android 16 for its Snapdragon X series chips. What makes the development interesting is that while the Snapdragon X, X Plus, and X Elite chipsets feature an Arm64 architecture, similar to those found in phone chips, Qualcomm specifically designates them for thin and light laptops. In simpler terms, Android 16 may be being tested to run on PC hardware, which could be an addition to the wide range of devices that already support the operating system.
Rumor: Android computers appear to be on the way.
Qualcomm is working on Android 16 support for the X Elite and X (series). The picture shows purwa (Snapdragon X)’s Android 16 private code list, and Qualcomm has already uploaded the Android code for X Elite and X (to the… pic.twitter.com/pQ1vnNOvgQ
According to the attached screenshot in Jukanlosreve’s post, Qualcomm’s internal source code repository has already been updated with Android 16 for “Purwa,” the internal codename for the Snapdragon X series. Meanwhile, we can also see Android 16-related manifests for various components such as CV (computer vision), audio, BTFM (Bluetooth FM), camera subsystem, etc.
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The attached image also suggests that these edits are live for the SC8380, which is the part number associated with the Snapdragon X series. The leak also suggests that while Qualcomm has begun working on second-generation Snapdragon X chips, these changes have not been implemented for them.
However, none of this guarantees that the Snapdragon X or its upcoming version will be featured in actual products that run Android instead of Windows or Linux. If — and that’s a big IF — the leaked screenshot holds even an ounce of truth, it does not confirm work on Android-driven laptops, even though tablets with a 2-in-1 design seem relatively more plausible.
Another aspect of this situation is that Android lacks a proper desktop environment. While we’ve been witnessing references to Android’s desktop mode for several past generations, Google has yet to deliver a complete solution that does not rely on fiddling.
While Google’s recent promise to leverage Samsung’s expertise in building DeX to provide a reliable desktop UI makes us hopeful, we wouldn’t be so sure until we can see and use options that allow us to use multiple windows freely and utilize keyboard shortcuts more effectively.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
All in all, the future of Android-based PCs currently rests on hope, and we can’t say anything confidently until we see an actual proof-of-concept in action.
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