O Snapdragon! Qualcomm hits back at Intel over alleged Copilot+ PC return rates

As more Arm-based solutions advance in a PC market traditionally dominated by x86 solutions, it’s understandable that Intel, the largest player in the x86 chip space, might feel a little nervous. But is there anything that can really make you nervous? It depends on who you ask, as key figures from Intel and Qualcomm paint very different pictures of the same landscape.

Intel is currently mired in recovery mode as it grapples with increased competition, not only from AMD, but also Arm-based players like NVIDIA and Qualcomm. The company is also looking for a new CEO after the company’s board reportedly pushed Pat Gelsinger out. Following his abrupt retirement, Intel named David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus as co-CEOs as it searches for a permanent replacement.

Meanwhile, Holthaus made an interesting comment that apparently got Qualcomm in trouble. When discussing Arm’s infiltration, she suggested that the new influx of hardware isn’t living up to consumer expectations.

“If you look at the return rate of Arm PCs, you’re going to talk to any retailer, their number one concern is, ‘Wow, I’m getting a large percentage of these PCs back,’ because you’re going to configure them, and they things that we just expect won’t work,” Holthaus said, according to CRN.

Although it’s not specifically stated, it’s undoubtedly referring to the first wave of Copilot+ PCs running on Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite and Plus hardware. Qualcomm was able to make a splash by striking a deal with Microsoft to initially represent the Copilot+ brand, which has since expanded to include the latest x86 mobile processors from AMD and Intel.

Well, that comment didn’t sit well with Qualcomm, which insists that the return rate for Snapdragon PCs is “within the industry standard.”

“Our devices continue to earn over 4 stars in consumer reviews and our products have received numerous industry accolades, including awards from Fast business, TechRadarand numerous consumer publications. Our device return rates are in line with industry standards,” a Qualcomm representative said in a statement.

Going further, Qualcomm’s spokesperson publicly stated that the company expects “30-50% of laptops to be migrated to non-x86 platforms” over the next five years.

That’s a bit of a bold claim, especially if Intel manages to right the ship, so to speak. But at the same time, a lot can happen in five years, especially in the technology sector. Just look at how quickly the AI arms race has intensified (much to NVIDIA’s benefit).

To that end, Holthaus acknowledges that “there has been a very significant effort to make Arm ubiquitous on PC,” but from his perspective, Intel has closed the efficiency gap with its Core Ultra 200V-based processors. on Lunar Lake while maintaining a lead in terms of performance and compatibility.