Qualcomm and Microsoft's Windows on Arm exclusivity deal could end soon

Windows on Arm, commonly known as WoA, has been in a state of flux due to the lack of hardware diversity in the ecosystem. It is partly due to Qualcomm's exclusivity agreement with Microsoft, which is why we're still waiting to see the likes of AMD and Nvidia enter the market. In an interview with Stratechery, Arm CEO Rene Haas revealed that more OEMs could enter the fray next year.

Haas says Microsoft's agreement with Qualcomm supposedly ends next year (2025), a year after the Snapdragon X Elite launches. This will open the market for many established players, such as MediaTek and Nvidia, who have previously worked together for automotive solutions. A rumour from 2021 stated Microsoft planned to team up with MediaTek and Samsung for WoA chips.

Even Arm could get in on the action directly. The chipmaker previously announced it would use Intel's 18A node to manufacture reference chips. While it was initially assumed to be for smartphone chips only, there's no reason why Arm can't use its expertise to create laptop-grade hardware. Ultimately, it results in more competition and additional choices for end users.