More information emerges on Andromeda processor
Andromeda is an ambitious Microsoft project that would provide us with a new form factor combining the best of laptops, tablets, and digital note-taking Courier-like capabilities, and the software giant could even offer phone calling features.
And while we’ve seen a lot of information leaking in the last few months, very little has been said about the hardware that could power this mobile device.
In addition to a dual-screen design, it looks like Andromeda could run on a Qualcomm processor that the company is currently working on and which could be called Snapdragon 1000.
German site WinFuture has come across a job listing on LinkedIn where Qualcomm reveals that it’s looking for engineers specifically to work on this project. More interesting is that the Snapdragon 1000 chip wouldn’t be only aimed at Andromeda, but also as desktops, so there’s a chance that Microsoft and Qualcomm are working together for a completely new family of products.
This means that in addition to Andromeda, Snapdragon 1000 could also make its way to other Surface devices, possibly to the low-cost model that Microsoft is expected to launch later this year. As a result, the device could run Windows 10 on ARM and benefit from extended battery life. The job ad reads:
“Microsoft Windows Multimedia Project Engineer – Oversee and manage all test operations on Qualcomm Snapdragon premium tier chipset SDM845 and SMD1000 for desktop, Andromeda, and HoloLens AR / VR / mixed reality products.”
As usual, no specifics are provided, but if all these projects advance as planned, Andromeda could launch later this year. The low-cost Surface is also expected in 2018, possibly in the fall. More leaks, however, are expected in the coming months as we approach their supposed launch dates.
