Linux-based Snapdragon X Elite laptop coming from Tuxedo later this year

XMG / Schenker subsidiary Tuxedo is planning to launch the world’s first Linux-based laptop powered by the efficient Snapdragon X Elite processor in late 2024. The German laptop OEM recently showcased a prototype at Computex ‘24, but Linux was not actually running on it, as full support for the new Snapdragon processors is expected to be available only on Linux 6.11 launching in 2H ‘24.

Codenamed “Drako” (Dragon), the upcoming Snapdragon laptop from Tuxedo will come pre-installed with an ARM port for the TUXEDO OS based on KDE Plasma. Some features for the ARM processors are already included with the current 6.8 version of the Linux Kernel. However, close to full functionality may only come with the 6.10 or 6.11 version in the next 6 months. Tuxedo is trying to release this model before the end of the year, but the implementation team mentions that “there are still too many pieces of the hardware, software and delivery capability puzzle missing to even begin to set a release date. TUXEDO for ARM will come, but we don’t yet know exactly when.”

The prototype presented at Computex included the following components:

• Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor with 12 cores and 20 W base TDP
• 14-inch IPS display with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 400 nit brightness and 100% sRGB color gamut
• 32 GB LPDDR5X + 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
• 50 Wh battery + vapor chamber cooling system with 2 heat pipes and 2 fans
• aluminum chassis weighing 1.36 kg + port selection with at least USB4 and HDMI connectors

These specs are not final so we could see some improvements for the final version, since Tuxedo stated that it is currently working on a second prototype. No info on pricing as of yet, but Linux-based systems usually come at a slight premium over Windows ones, so we are probably looking at a price point over 1,000 EUR.