Previously, there were rumors that the exclusive agreement between Microsoft and Qualcomm to supply processors for Arm computers with Windows would expire in 2024. Now this information has been confirmed by Rene Haas, CEO of Arm. The end of the exclusivity agreement means that in the coming years, manufacturers of Arm computers with Windows will be able to start using chips from other vendors in their devices.
Image Source: Microsoft
Microsoft chose Qualcomm as a partner and manufacturer of Arm processors for Windows devices in 2016. Since then, Qualcomm has been the only company to release Arm-based processors for Windows devices. The exclusive agreement was never announced by officials, but over time this fact became obvious, since Qualcomm remained the only company producing Arm chips for laptops for the entire eight years since the partnership with Microsoft was announced.
There have been various rumors regarding the duration of the exclusivity agreement between Microsoft and Qualcomm.. Now, Rene Haas has become the first official to actually confirm that the contract will expire this year . “I think it's well documented that the exclusivity that Qualcomm has with Windows ends, I think, this year,” Haas said in recent interview with Stratecherry.
Although Haas did not publicly announce the end of the partnership agreement this year, he probably would not mention it without reliable information. Since he is the CEO of Arm, his statement should be taken as reliable. The exact date of termination of the agreement between Microsoft and Qualcomm remains unknown, but the agreement is likely to expire by early 2025.
Losing exclusivity for Qualcomm chips means other companies will be able to make Arm processors for Windows laptops. Earlier, Reuters wrote that AMD and NVIDIA are planning to release Arm chips.