Summary
- 2024 could be a game-changing year for laptops, with brand-new designs, revolutionary processors, and a big Windows update on the horizon.
- Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor for Windows on Arm is promising impressive performance, potentially surpassing Intel and AMD in both CPU and GPU power.
- Intel's Meteor Lake architecture is set to shake up the laptop market, offering significant improvements in performance and efficiency, as well as integrated Intel Arc graphics for enhanced gaming capabilities.
Just a few days ago, I wrote about how 2023 was a pretty boring year for laptops, with most options keeping the same designs as last year while offering iterative performance upgrades. But things are set to be very different in 2024. With brand-new laptop designs, potentially revolutionary processors, and a big Windows update, it looks like it could be one of the best years for laptops in quite some time. Here are a few reasons I'm very excited about what's coming next year.
4 The year of Windows on Arm
The Snapdragon X Elite means this has to be it
Despite being introduced back in 2016, Windows on Arm has felt like a pipe dream ever since. These devices existed, but Qualcomm's Arm processors for PCs were never really that good, and when Apple came along with the mind-blowing Apple Silicon, it really drove home how pointless Qualcomm and Microsoft's efforts felt up until that point.
But Qualcomm changed the game with the Snapdragon X Elite, its first fully custom processor for Windows on Arm. Like Apple Silicon, the Snapdragon X Elite isn't borrowing Arm's processor designs; it's licensing the Arm architecture and building something completely new with it. And it looks amazing. With 12 high-performance cores, the Snapdragon X Elite is promising to blow Intel and AMD out of the water in terms of raw performance, not only when it comes to CPU power, but even the integrated GPU. AMD has been way ahead of Intel in terms of integrated graphics, and Qualcomm is promising to be up to twice as fast.
It's not just about hardware, though; it looks like Microsoft matches Qualcomm's efforts. Windows is getting big optimizations for Arm devices next year, and on top of that, Blackmagic's DaVinci Resolve is getting native Arm support on Windows. Yes, that's one of the best video editors for Windows running natively on Arm. You can tell Qualcomm and Microsoft are serious about making Windows on Arm good.
After years of Apple embarrassing Windows laptops, The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite could finally bring those same benefits to the world's most popular desktop operating system, and it's looking amazing. I absolutely can't wait to see it in action.
3 Intel Meteor Like is looking promising
A huge shakeup for x86
Qualcomm could be poised to make x86 processors almost irrelevant, but Intel isn't ready to give up quite yet, and its next generation of laptop processors is also looking incredibly exciting. While details on specific processors have yet to be announced, we do know a lot about the Meteor Lake architecture, and it's looking very good.
Intel is revamping almost every part of its processors. The processors will use a tile-based design, and the CPU tile will feature big improvements for both performance and efficiency cores, finally moving the Intel 4 process to deliver even more efficiency and density. Even more notable is the introduction of Intel Arc graphics built into the processor. Intel is promising up to double the performance compared to its current integrated GPUs, giving it an edge over AMD.
That's still not all, though. These processors will also have an SoC tile, with two processor cores used for the most basic tasks on your PC, saving even more power than the efficient CPU cores. And, of course, there's an NPU, too, all with the goal of improving AI performance and making local AI processing more accessible than ever. All in all, Meteor Lake could really shake up 2024's laptops and help Intel stand toe-to-toe with Qualcomm. Regardless of whether you choose x86 or Arm, both sides are looking like a major upgrade in all aspects of performance.
2 New laptop designs
Even the Dell XPS line is finally getting some love
2023 was definitely a rest year for PC manufacturers, many of which delivered big laptop redesigns in 2022 and reused them this year. But that usually means it's time for a refresh, and thanks to some leaks, we've already seen some of those redesigns.
Most notably, Dell is finally updating its XPS lineup with modernized designs. Sure, the company revamped the XPS 13 line in 2022, but the XPS 15 and XPS 17 have looked exactly the same for many years now. We also know there will be an XPS 14 and XPS 16 in 2024, thanks to the leaks, and they both have a more modern and clean design compared to what they had before.
We've also seen the HP Spectre x360 14, a brand-new model of HP's premier line with a 14-inch 16:10 OLED display and a higher refresh rate than previous models. I'm a little disappointed that HP seems to be making the design even more toned down, but at least it's different, and that display upgrade is certainly welcome.
And that's just what we've seen in leaks, of course. There's bound to be a lot more, and we might even see some more foldable PCs now that a few of the big companies have made their first ones. If 2024 is the year of foldable laptop refinement, I'm here for it.
1 Windows 12 (Hudson Valley)
Time for a refresh
This big Windows refresh has been rumored for quite a while now. Whether it will be called Windows 12 or not is still unknown, but Hudson Valley will be a big new update based on a new Windows platform, just like Windows 11 was compared to Windows 10.
A big focus of Hudson Valley will be AI, which I'm very skeptical about, but I'm interested in seeing more useful use cases for it. If the reported timeline and search capabilities are true, I think it could truly change how we use our computers. And since companies like Intel and Qualcomm are big on AI features, we could see some unique stuff.
Of course, Hudson Valley is also going to carry those big optimizations for Arm, which is not only good for the Snapdragon X Elite, but for existing Arm PCs as well. Breathing new life into these devices is more than welcome, and I'm excited to see it.
There are still many things we don't know about Hudson Valley, so I'm definitely curious about potential UI changes and other features that may be added. No matter how you slice it, an update to Windows on the same scale as Windows 11 is pretty big news, and the fact that it's landing in the same year as all this exciting hardware makes 2024 all the more enticing.
I can't wait to see what's in store
I can be somewhat cynical about some things that happen in tech, but years like 2024 keep me going, and I'm truly excited to see what will come of all this new hardware and software. We haven't had a year this exciting in a while, with software and hardware launches lining up so perfectly. If you've been holding off on a laptop upgrade, I think 2024 may be the year you should finally upgrade.