Microsoft’s Qualcomm exclusivity deal for Windows on Arm reportedly ending quickly

Qualcomm reportedly has an exclusivity take care of Microsoft for Windows on Arm licenses. The pair launched Windows on Arm laptops in 2016, and up to now we haven’t seen any units launch with out a Qualcomm chip. XDA-Developers reports that Qualcomm has had an exclusivity deal on Windows on Arm, however that it’s set to run out quickly.

The report comes days after MediaTek held its government summit with members of the media final week, the place it shared its ambitions to construct its personal chip for Windows on Arm PCs.

If Microsoft’s exclusivity deal is about to finish with Qualcomm, this might open the door for a lot of extra distributors supporting Windows on Arm. Samsung, MediaTek, and even Apple’s M1 chips may finally help Windows on Arm.

While you’ll be able to run Windows on Apple’s M1 Macs by way of Parallels Desktop digital machine software program, Apple doesn’t help Boot Camp on M1 Macs and Microsoft solely licenses the Arm model of Windows to PC makers. Whether or not Microsoft would license Windows on Arm to Apple, or Apple would help such a state of affairs stays to be seen, although.

Microsoft has additionally been engaged on designing its personal Arm-based processors for servers and presumably future Surface units. The software program large began work on these new chips greater than a 12 months in the past, and stories counsel they’ll be used primarily in servers for Microsoft’s Azure cloud companies.

Microsoft at the moment makes use of Intel-based processors for almost all of its Azure cloud companies, and a lot of the firm’s Surface lineup runs on Intel chips. Microsoft did break from custom to work with AMD and Qualcomm for customized chips for its Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X units. There are even rumors that Microsoft can also be working with AMD on Arm-based laptop computer processors.