Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus Targets Premium Laptops With More AI and Sustained Performance

At CES 2026, Qualcomm is expanding its Windows-on-ARM ambitions with the launch of the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a new laptop platform positioned to deliver higher sustained performance, stronger on-device AI capabilities, and multi-day battery life in ultra-portable PCs. The announcement builds on the momentum of the Snapdragon X2, which Qualcomm introduced just a few months earlier as the foundation of its second-generation X Series push into premium laptops. Snapdragon X2 Plus is more advanced than X Elite, but below X2 Elite (refer to this official table).

The Snapdragon X2 Plus is powered by a third-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, available in configurations with up to 10 cores, paired with an updated Adreno GPU designed around a sliced-based architecture for more lifelike graphics. Qualcomm says the platform is engineered to deliver consistent performance whether plugged in or running on battery, reinforcing its long-standing message around truly mobile PCs without performance throttling when unplugged.

A key differentiator of the X2 Plus is its focus on on-device AI. The platform integrates Qualcomm’s fastest laptop-class Hexagon NPU, capable of delivering 80 TOPS of AI performance. This enables more than 50 AI experiences to run locally, including content creation workflows, real-time image and video enhancement, and emerging agentic AI features that operate continuously in the background without relying on the cloud.

Battery life remains central to the X Series proposition. Qualcomm positions the X2 Plus as enabling multi-day battery life, supported by aggressive power management that allocates energy dynamically across CPU, GPU, and NPU workloads. The goal is to maintain responsiveness during demanding tasks while keeping fan noise and heat under control in thin and light designs.

Connectivity and security are also core pillars. Snapdragon X2 Plus platforms support optional 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth with Snapdragon Sound, alongside chip-to-cloud security through the Qualcomm Secure Processing Unit and Microsoft Pluton. Enterprise features such as out-of-band remote manageability further position the platform for business-class deployments.

With the Snapdragon X2 Plus, Qualcomm is clearly iterating on the X2 platform introduced earlier this year, raising the performance ceiling while doubling down on AI acceleration and efficiency. At CES 2026, the message is consistent: Qualcomm wants the next wave of premium laptops to be AI-native, always connected, and uncompromisingly mobile.

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