Qualcomm's Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 PCs ships this summer

Starting this summer, independent software vendors and application devs can test and optimize their apps using this tiny new ARM PC.

What you need to know

• Qualcomm has announced a small, standalone Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 PCs.
• The device lets developers code, test, and optimize apps for Windows on ARM without needing to purchase an expensive 2-in-1 Qualcomm laptop with LTE.
• While no price was given, it will be cost-effective and available later this summer at the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft and Qualcomm have teamed up to deliver something long overdue: a Snapdragon Developer Kit finally. The compact mini PC is based on the new Snapdragon 7c Gen Compute Platform and lets more devs jump in on coding for Windows on ARM without having to purchase an expensive convertible 2-in-1 like a Surface Pro X.

From the Qualcomm press release:

Built in collaboration with Microsoft, this Windows 10-based developer kit is a cost-effective resource for developers to verify and validate their solutions to help ensure great user experiences for working, learning, and collaborating on Snapdragon-enabled Windows 10 PCs.

Miguel Nunes, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. went on to note:

With the smaller desktop configuration, this kit gives developers more flexibility than notebook options, and at a lower price point. We remain committed to helping developers address requests from customers, while reducing the overall cost of deployment.

The kit itself is unremarkable: a small black box with the Qualcomm Snapdragon logo, USB Type-A, microSD card slot, and presumably a few other ports, including display-out and room for peripherals.

The news follows last year's announcement from Microsoft of its App Assure Program expansion to support Snapdragon PCs. Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Edge, and Visual Studio Code were all announced as enhanced for Snapdragon-based PCs. The momentum continued with the revelation of forthcoming x64 emulation preview for Windows 10 PCs.

Also announced at Qualcomm's virtual announcement today was a new optimized app. Zoom Video Communications Inc. stated the company's commitment to releasing a "new version of the video conferencing application, optimized for devices powered by Snapdragon compute platforms." While no firm date was given to the Snapdragon-optimized Zoom app, it is slated for "this summer."

The Snapdragon Developer Kit will be commercially available at the Microsoft Store this summer as well. No pricing or firm date was announced, but it should be much more affordable than a full ARM PC since it lacks a display and keyboard.