Qualcomm has expanded its Windows-on-Arm push at CES 2026, unveiling the first laptops powered by its next-generation Snapdragon X2 chips, including a new mid-range option designed to make AI-capable PCs more affordable.

Alongside the previously announced Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X2 Plus, a new tier aimed at thinner, lighter and more budget-friendly laptops.

Devices based on both the Elite and Plus platforms are expected to begin shipping toward the end of the first quarter of 2026, with broader availability through mid-year.

The Snapdragon X2 Plus comes in two variants: a 10-core and a 6-core processor, both built on Qualcomm’s third-generation Oryon CPU architecture and manufactured on TSMC’s advanced N3P process.

While the Plus chips offer fewer CPU cores and lower graphics performance than the Elite models, Qualcomm says they still deliver substantial gains over the previous Snapdragon X Plus generation.

According to Qualcomm, the X2 Plus delivers up to 35% higher single-core CPU performance, up to 17% multi-core gains, and as much as 29 to 39% better GPU performance, depending on the model.

Power efficiency is also a key focus, with the company claiming up to 43% lower power consumption and “multi-day battery life” without performance dropping when running on battery.

A major highlight is AI performance. Like the flagship Elite chips, the Snapdragon X2 Plus includes an 80 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU), which Qualcomm claims is the fastest in its class for laptops. This positions the chip squarely within Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC ecosystem and supports increasingly demanding on-device AI workloads.

While Qualcomm has stopped short of confirming exact pricing, citing ongoing global memory supply pressures, executives suggest the X2 Plus will land in similar segments to the previous generation, with devices likely starting around the mid-range price bracket rather than premium levels.

Graphics performance remains a limitation for gamers, particularly on the 6-core model, but Qualcomm says it is improving driver support, with quarterly updates and compatibility across around 1,400 popular PC games.

The Snapdragon X2 Plus represents another step in Qualcomm’s challenge to Intel, AMD and even Apple, as Arm-based Windows laptops move closer to the mainstream in 2026.