Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon X2 Plus and Robotics Push at CES 2026

Qualcomm came to CES with something to prove.

The chipmaker used the world’s biggest tech stage to unveil an ambitious 2026 roadmap that stretches far beyond smartphones, signaling a shift toward PCs, AI-heavy computing, and even humanoid robots. The goal? To redefine its role in the broader tech ecosystem.

At the center of that push is the new Snapdragon X2 Plus, alongside the X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme. Together, these processors signal Qualcomm’s most aggressive move yet to redefine its identity, challenge long-time PC chip heavyweights, and carve out a future where its silicon powers everything from laptops to next-generation machines.

The race to outpace competitors

The company was previously known for producing chips for phones. It is now shifting its focus toward computers. 

According to a report from Yahoo Finance, Qualcomm’s recent X2 series is “part of the company’s push to take on longtime PC chip leader Intel and rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).”

Intel, which was once the undefeated champion in PC chips, is about to face another strong rival, as AMD has already begun to slice into its market share. Aiming to outrun long-term industry players, the company is now also setting its sights on humanoid robots, which it believes would be worth over $1 trillion in 2040.

The company, which recorded a total revenue of $44.3 billion last year, of which $38.4 billion came from smartphones, PCs, and automobile chip sales, is confident that this new direction will lead to success.

The X2 Plus core specifications 

In a press release published on its website, Kedar Kondap, the senior vice president and general manager, computing and gaming for the company, said:

“Modern professionals and creators want to do more, create more, and push the limits of generative AI and all-day performance. The Snapdragon X2 Plus platform delivers the power, efficiency and intelligence to surpass their ambitions, making each experience more responsive and personal.”

Its battery efficiency ensures multi-day use, a feature usually found on flagship PCs, including the M-series MacBooks. Qualcomm claims this chip delivers “lightning-fast performance and fluid multitasking,” making it the ideal choice for heavy workloads. With this chip, switching between two resource-intensive tasks and keeping multiple apps open is easy.

The X2 Plus is a System on a Chip (SoC) that combines a CPU, Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI workloads, and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).

The CPU, which has a clock speed of 4.04 GHz, is 35% faster than its predecessors, while using 43% less battery power. Its NPU has the capacity to run 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS) and a clock speed of 1.7 GHz.

Furthermore, Qualcomm reports that PCs running this chip would have the fastest available Wi-Fi 7 and optional 5G connections, with download speeds up to 10 GB/s and upload speeds up to 3.5 GB/s. The company also promises advanced security features, including automatic presence detection and biometric verification, while significantly enhancing Copilot’s capabilities for Windows 11 devices.

What to expect next

Targeting mid-range PCs, the company intends to bring that superior feel to desktop and personal computers. Consumers can expect to buy select devices featuring the chip from major manufacturers in the first half of 2026. 

The company has not revealed which manufacturers would feature that chip on their devices yet. However, given previous partnerships and HP’s dominance in PC production, it is expected that they will be among the manufacturers.

Also read: eWeek’s AI predictions for 2026 flags “embodied AI and robotics” as a scaling trend, aligning with Qualcomm’s push beyond PCs and into humanoid robots.